Keeper of Darkness
by Alrynnas
Summary: Another of Link's childhood friends is kidnapped...only this one is taken by Zant. Join Link as he fights to save Hyrule from the Twilight and as he tries to determine this Shadow from friend or foe. Takes place DURING game. Link/OC.
1. A Blacksmith's Warning

Welcome readers! This is my fan fic for Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Just a couple things to point out before the story begins. This story takes place during the game, but it does not cover every single moment in the game. As such, having played the game completely will be a great help or else you may be confused (though I give a summary of what happens in the parts I skip), miss out on character growth that happened in the game, and run into some major spoilers. You read at your own risk! Also, any directions in this game are to go with the Gamecube layout. It was the version I played first, and was playing through when I started to think up this story. Oh, and the first chapter takes place the morning of the first day in-game. That's...all I have to say for now! Enjoy!

Oh! Don't expect Link to talk in this. I tried my hardest at finding ways around him talking, so, yes, it was all intentional. Now enjoy!

I

_A Blacksmith's Warning_

Warm rays of light shone down on the land. There was a cool breeze coming from the north that day. Down in Ordon, it was just what they wanted. These were peaceful times; one where people had to worry about the most mundane of things. It was almost too good to be true. But, no one stopped to think what could happen next. And, as each day was bright and cheery (even when it rained), it only strengthened people's beliefs that nothing was going to go wrong.

Wind in his blond hair, a young man rode up to the ranch at the southern edge of the village. Judging by his attire, he was no more than a simple farm boy. The again, most of the people in Ordon were country people. It was a simple place, not like the bustling and crowded streets of Hyrule Market. Those that lived here did not have to worry about that, just like the young man never even once thought what it was like. A gentle expression was on the his face, and a kind look to his eye, but there was a strength in them as well. He rode atop a strong auburn mare that had a white main and tail.

Urging her, the speed that was needed to jump the fence was gathered. In one smooth motion, the mare leaped over it and landed on the green grass. Other than several goats that were out in the pasture, the place seemed deserted. The young man steered the mare around the ranch, looking for something. He did not find what he wanted for quickly after, the young man turned his horse around and headed back the way he had come.

Villagers greeted him warmly as he rode on by. Every one here was kind to each other...well, save for some of the kids. The adults, though, were never rude to each other, and they knew that the kids would grow past all that. A cool breeze blowing up, his blond hair was tossed around as he looked over his should to the girl who had called out his name.

"Link!" A girl his age changed her direction and headed to the young man named Link. Her white dress and blonde hair shone in the light. Bright eyes smiled up at him as she drew near. Ilia; she was the daughter of the mayor of the village, and had been a friend of Link's for some time. "Shouldn't you be up at Fado's ranch?" she questioned. Link looked back towards the ranch, then shook his head. "Oh, that's right!" Ilia snapped her fingers. "He's coming back from Hyrule Market today. But...I thought he should have been back by now..." She scratched her cheek pensively. "Were you going to look for him?"

Nodding, Link switched his gaze back towards where he had been headed.

"All right then. Just be careful, and don't go pushing Epona too hard." Calmly, Ilia walked up and patted the mare on her neck. Epona snorted and yanked her head away. Slightly saddened, the Mayor's daughter took a step back. "Come back as soon as you find anything!" Waving, she headed off towards her house. Link waved back, and was about to continue on his way when his gaze fell on Ordon's blacksmith and the house attached to it.

Smoke was coming up from the chimney, signaling someone was working at the forge. Part of him wanted to go and say good morning to the person he hoped would be working. It was still fairly early in the morning, but she should be up by now; most of the villagers were. Eyes glued to a specific window, Link began to turn Epona towards the blacksmith. In mid-turn though, he thought better of it. There were some days where she slept-in longer than other villagers, and finding out what happened to Fado was a more pressing matter.

Reeling Epona back around, Link decided that he would greet his friend later. There was still plenty of time left in the day to see her. Heeling Epona softly, he headed off towards the edge of Ordon, where the Ordon Spring lay, along with the path that headed out towards the fields of Hyrule. If something had happened to Fado, hopefully he would be somewhere along the path, and not too far out either.

Link urged Epona to move a little faster as he passed his house that was near the edge of the village. With a glance back at it, he eyed the make-shift dummy and was reminded that he wanted to practice fighting some time that day. He then entered the small wooded area that was just north of Ordon, the spring just to the west. When he passed it, Link spared a glance at the crystal-clear waters that seemed to have healing properties. There were days when he and his good friend would just sit there at the edge for hours, letting time slip by. Shaking his head, Link continued on towards Hyrule Field.

Before the fields though was Faron Woods. These woods were a fairly peaceful place. Along with the spring, the forest was another place he and his friend came to play in. There were many memories for him in there. As he thought back, Link and Epona made their way through the woods. They neared the edge and the trees began to clear. Up ahead were the vast fields of Hyrule. As the woods ended, Link saw a wagon on the path ahead along with a man beside it.

It was Fado.

He must have seen Link coming up, for he raised a hand high and yelled out his name. Sighing in relief that Fado was all right, Link made Epona gallop the remaining distance to the wagon, Fado, and the goat that had pulled it.

"Link! Boy am I glad to see you," came Fado as the farm boy neared. Waving Link to follow, he headed around the cart. Quickly dismounting, Link patted Epona before squatting down next to Fado as he looked at one of the back wheels. "Seems the sprocket broke just before we entered the forest. I would have come for help, but I couldn't leave the cargo or poor ol' Blue here by himself. I swear, you came just in time, Link." He stood up, Link following, and held out the piece of the wheel that had broken. "Mind taking this back to Derak and see if he can replace it?"

Smiling, Link gave a firm nod and took the broken piece before heading back off to Epona. He mounted and quickly made Epona rear up before he dashed back to Ordon Village. With Fado found, it was best to get him back to the village as quickly as possible. There was no real danger, but one could never be too careful. The woods were quickly left behind them, and soon after they past the bridge and spring then were back in their village.

Hooves left footprints behind as he sped up towards the blacksmith. Smoke was still rising from the forge signaling someone was still there and working. He felt his heart nearly leap into his throat as he neared the home of his good friend. The piece still in his hands, he promptly dismounted and headed over to the forge. He paused for a moment outside and listened to the sounds the blacksmith made.

It was definitely her inside.

Most of the time, the sounds made from someone working at a forge was distracting and annoying at best. When his best friend, San, worked, Link swore that it almost sounded like music. A light but firm touch worked the metals. The bellows that kept the fire of the forge going created the beat. Noise from each time the hammer struck the anvil or metal were the notes. Link would bet all the rupees he had that there was not a person who could not like the noise made from San working.

Sighing softly, Link gathered his thoughts and entered to the forge. His assumptions were right: San was the one who worked the forge at the moment, the notes from her hammer making a continuous melody. Sapphire hair was pulled back, something she always did when working. Elongated ears were seen as she focused on her task at hand. Out of everyone in Ordon, he and San were the only ones to have such pointy ears. Not that the people there cared at all, or treated them differently because of it, but it did help with their bonds of friendship. He was only able to take a few steps forward before the music she could make stopped and she turned around.

Forest-green eyes met his blue ones. Though soot covered some of her face, it did not seem to diminish her looks one bit, and when she smiled, it made her look even better.

"Hey. What brings you here?" she asked, putting the hammer down and then placing a hand on her hip. Lips still curled in a soft smile, she waited for an answer.

Coughing once, Link held out the broken piece of the wheel and quickly explained to San what needed to be done. Running a hand along her chin, the young blacksmith took the sprocket and eyed the piece.

"It's not in too bad shape, just a little patchwork. And..." she looked over her shoulder at the walls, "afraid we don't have any spare ones at the moment." Reaching back, she let her hair down and put it back up since it had started to get loose. "Looks like I'll have to fix it; shouldn't take too long." Giving a quick grin, she tossed the piece in her hands once before heading over to the forge.

Link fumbled for his pouch. San must have noticed for she looked over her shoulder and held up a hand for him to stop. "If you mean to pay me, think again," commented San. Link opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off again. "I need the practice. This is on me." She gave a small wink.

The metal began to heat up when San glanced back over at Link, a serious expression on his face as he continued to hold out rupees in payment. "You that serious about paying for this?" He nodded. Sighing, dusted off her hands. "Fine, if you want to pay, you can go out and chop us some more firewood. Deal?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

With a sigh, Link nodded and placed the rupees back in his pouch. Chuckling once, he looked back up at her and smiled with a nod before heading out. After a lingering glance on the farm boy, San returned to her work at the forge to fix the sprocket as quickly as possible.

Dashing around, Link quickly found where San and her father, Derak, kept their firewood. Lots had to be kept ready for the forge so it could reach the heats it needed to be at. A little distance away was the ax and cutting log. Clapping his hands together once, Link soon set off to work.

As he toiled about outside, San was hard at work inside. Once more her unique music reached his ears, and between the logs he cut, Link stole glances inside to see her work. He continued to work hard though, to make sure that she was paid for the job.

"Link!" San called out after some time. It only felt like he had started moments ago though. Wiping his forehead, Link looked back over to the forge. "You can stop chopping wood now! It's done." She waved him to come back inside as she walked away from the window.

Quickly, he finished chopping one more piece of wood and added it to the pile before going back inside. There San stood waiting for him, hands on her hips.

"I swear, sometimes you work_ too_ hard," she grinned at him. Link laughed softly, his eyes closing as he rubbed the back of his neck. When they opened, San was holding out the sprocket she had just fixed. "This should get Fado back nice and safely now. Should last a while longer, too. Though we'll make some new ones soon, and when we do, he should replace it just to be safe."

Nodding once, Link began to take the sprocket, but San quickly placed a hand over his before he could get away. Raising his eyebrows, he looked back at her questioningly. The smile had faded from her face, and was replaced by a serious, and almost sombre, look.

"Careful out there, Link," she began, eyes cast down. "I hope it's nothing, but I've been having this bad feeling on the back of my mind for a while now, and I just can't seem to shake it." Shaking her head, she looked up at him and forced a smile. "Sorry if I worried you... Just take it easy, all right?"

Smiling in reassurance, Link patted San on her shoulder, letting his hand rest there for a moment. He then pulled away with a wave, and headed back outside and to Epona who had begun to eat the grass. Taking a small break from her work, San followed him to the door and watched as he mounted up.

"She really has become a beautiful creature," praised San as she looked at Epona. As if hearing her comment, the mare nickered softly and bobbed her head up, producing a chuckle from both Link and San. "Say, Link?" Looking over at her, the farm boy raised his eyebrows to show he was listening. "Think I could ride her at some point? When you're not busy, of course." A smile spreading across his face, Link gave a firm nod before he heeled Epona. "And don't forget we gotta spar at some point, too!" San called out after him.

Raising his hand to show he he heard, Link sped back off through the village. Still standing by the doorway, San watched him until he could no longer be seen.

"Please...let me be wrong," she whispered before heading back in.


	2. Subservient Twilight

II

_Subservient Twilight_

Twilight fell upon Faron Woods. Much like the spring outside of Ordon, there was a spring with crystal-clear waters fairly deep into the lush forest. Link sat there as the sun began to set on the area. Fado had made it back safely thanks to Link and San, and because of that, he had gotten a small break for the day. To his left sat another person who watched the twilight growing; though it was not the exact person he wished to be with at the moment, for she was still busy working, but it was a good friend none the less.

"Tell me... Do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls?" asked Rusl. Rusl was the father of one of the younger boys in the village, and was a great swordsman. He had been the one to teach both Link and San the ways of the sword. Since Link had no parents here, a part of him, especially while growing up, thought of Rusl as a father. Then again, nearly everyone in the village was like a family member to him. Not so much San any more. Yes, while they had been growing up, she felt like a sister to him. Now... Well, it just did not feel that way any longer.

Link nodded and stared at the waters as Rusl continued. "They say it's the only time our world intersects with theirs... The only time we can feel the lingering regrets of spirits who have left our world. That is why loneliness always pervades in the hour of twilight..." He sighed and shifted his weight slightly. "But enough talk of sadness... I have a favor to ask of you, Link."

Blinking, the young boy looked up from the waters to the older man. "I was supposed to deliver something to the royal family of Hyrule the day after tomorrow... Yes, it was a task set to me by the mayor," he answered before Link could ask anything, "but...would you go in my stead? You have...never been to Hyrule, right?" Link nodded and Rusl looked back out to the spring. "In the kingdom of Hyrule there is a great castle, and around it is Castle Town, a community far bigger than our little village." He laughed softly. "...And far bigger than Hyrule is the rest of the world the gods created. You should look upon it all with your own eyes. It is getting late..." Standing, the man dusted off his leggings.

Nodding, Link followed suit and headed over to Epona's side. He may have had a break from Fado that day, but instead it was Rusl that had gotten him to help with some tasks. The auburn mare gave a snort and shook her mane as Link neared. "We should head back to the village. I will talk to the mayor about this matter," sighed Rusl as he stretched. Nodding, Link took the mare's reins in his hands and the two headed back to Ordon.

The setting sun set the sky aflame and the valley below the bridge aglow. Clouds of pink, orange, purple and red swirled in the sky. Link permitted his gaze to wander, first following a bird that flew out in front of them and then lingered on the warm sky. Such a beautiful sight it was, though Rusl had been right: there was a certain type of sadness that seem to come with the dusk.

They made it safely back to Link's house where Rusl's son and wife were waiting, Colin and Uli. The kind-hearted Uli had a hand on her son's shoulder as well as on her stomach for she was with child. With a farewell pat on Link's shoulder, Rusl headed over to his family and began to lead them away back down to the village. As they left, Colin looked over his shoulder and waved at Link. Smiling, the farm boy waved back before he headed on inside his house.

Link barely had time to start cleaning up when someone began to call for him from outside.

"Hey! Link! You there?" came the voice of Fado. Scrambling up to the top of his house, Link looked out the window. "Hey, you mind helpin' me herd the goats? They ain't listenin' to me lately!" Nodding at Fado's request, the young farm boy raised his hand to show he would be right down. A warm smile met Link when he reached outside. That smile soon faded away with the question, "Hey, where's Epona?"

Gasping softly, Link looked around. Sure enough, his trusted mare was no where to be seen. It was not like her to go off on her own, so someone must have come and taken her. But who? He was not too worried, at least, for not many people came to Ordon, leading him to suspect one of the other villagers did something.

"C'mon, now, hurry up an' bring Epona with you," said Fado. He clapped Link on his back once before heading back off for his ranch.

For a few moments longer, Link stood there thinking of who may have done such a thing. An idea came into his head and he quickly sprinted off for the Ordon Spring.

Just as he suspected, there was Epona and the one who had taken her: Ilia. Not yet noticing his arrival, Ilia reached out to pet Epona who quickly snorted and shook her head. Frowning softly, the young girl looked to the gates and spotted Link. "Oh, hi, Link," she greeted warmly as he walked up. "I washed Epona for you!" she grinned, gesturing to the horse.

Walking up to his horse's side, Link gave her a loving pat on the neck. "Epona is a girl too, so you have to treat her like one!" voiced the mayor's daughter as she placed a hand on her hip. Looking over at her, he nodded. "Oh, but listen, Link... Could you do something for me?" Raising his eyebrows at her, her awaited her request. "Can you use a piece of grass to play that song for me? You know. The one that Epona likes?"

Tapping a finger on his chin, Link looked about for a grass he could use. Sure enough, a patch of the right type was growing just at the edge of the springs. Giving another pat, he went on over to the grass.

"I tried to play it for Epona," continued Ilia, "but I just can't seem to play it the way you can, Link."

A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he bent down to pluck a blade. Standing, he brought it to his mouth and blew across it softly, able to create three notes and turn it into a soft melody. When he finished, Epona bobbed her head up and down in approval and walked over to his side.

"It's such a nice melody..." muttered Ilia, her eyes closed from when she listened. Smiling softly, she gazed at Epona as Link mounted on up. "Epona looks happy." Tilting her head, she laughed softly. "Well, she's all prettied up now, so I suppose you can ride her back. But don't make her do too much, okay?"

Smiling down at her, Link gave a firm nod at his friend before he headed on off to Fado's ranch. He paused several times to talk with some of the other villagers, and stopped in his tracks to look up to the blacksmith when he passed it. A light train of smoke came up from the forge. Turning Epona to face it, he started towards San's place to tell her about him getting to go to Hyrule. But then he stopped Epona and, watching the forge for a moment longer, headed off to the ranch. There would be time later to talk with San.

With the sun setting behind the hills, Link rode into Fado's Ranch and headed up to the farmer.

Fado gave a hearty wave at the young man. "Sorry to get you over here in such a hurry, Link! These guys have been awful skittish lately. They won't listen to a word I say," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry to ask, bud, but how's about you an' Epona herd 'em into the barn real quick?" Raising a hand to block the glare, the farmer looked out and judged the time left in the day. "We ain't got much time, so you think you can do it for me?" Smiling, Link nodded at the request. "Much obliged there, bud! Okay, then, go on an' herd all these little scamps into the barn for me!"

Without waiting for further instructions, Link reared Epona about and headed off to herd the goats back into the barn. Within a few minutes of wooping and galloping around the field to make sure all were in, Link had Epona trot back up to Fado who whisted in approval.

"Link, Epona... Much obliged to both of y'all! I can cover everythin' tomorrow without havin' to trouble you, so just sit back an' relax, bud. Oh..." He tapped his finger on his chin. "But, uh, how 'bout today? Wanna practice with fences?" Link took a moment to double-check how much time there was left in the day before he shook his head. With the time it took to set up, he would barely have more than a couple minutes. As fun as it was to end the day off on that note, he just did not have the time to make it worth it. "Ah, alright then, bud. Have a good night, Link!" Raising a hand in farewell, Fado headed off to the barn.

Taking a moment to soak in the beauty of the land, Link breathed in deeply. Rusl was right, there is a strange sadness that covers the land in the time of twilight. Sad...yet also beautiful. He watched the sun set as he headed back out of the ranch. Traveling along the path back to his house, Link looked out to the blacksmith. There was no more smoke. He sighed softly. That meant San and Derak were finishing up for the day. Link never liked to disturb them during that time, and so he decided he would tell San about going to Hyrule tomorrow. Yes, he would have time tomorrow.

:::

"Hey, wake up, Link! It's morning already!" called out a voice that woke Link up. Rubbing his eyes, he headed to his window and looked down below. There stood three of his other friends from the village, Talo (the one who had called out), Malo, and Beth. Faces bright, they all waved up at him. Link waved back and promptly headed outside where his friends waited for him.

"Oh, Link! Didja hear?" asked Talo before Link had even gotten both feet on the ground after climbing down his ladder. "They're selling a slingshot at the store right now! A SLINGSHOT!" The young boy cheered in delight. Link laughed lightly as he rubbed the back of his neck, always amazed at Talo's enthusiasm.

"I wonder how powerful it is... I...I need... I must try it..." muttered Malo. The youngest one there cast his eyes down. Had he been older, Link was certain it would have been a sinister look.

Beth placed her hands on her hips and sighed at the younger boys. "Talo, if you and Malo want it so badly, just buy it at my parents' shop!"

"Do you see any Rupees in my hand?" asked Talo, holding out his hands palm-up. "I can't afford that thing! C'mon, Beth, can't you just loan it to us for a while?"

"You know I'd get in trouble for that! If you two want it, save up your allowances or something."

"But...our allowances are terrible..." mumbled Malo. "Aww, I wish I was born into a family with a slingshot instead of one with a waterwheel."

Chuckling nervously, Link backed away and headed for the rest of Ordon while the three continued to argue. "KNOCK IT OFF!" shouted Beth and Link was glad to have gotten away.

"Hi, Link..." came a soft voice, stopping Link in his tracks. In front of him was Colin. "You have the day off work today, right?" Link smiled and nodded at the young boy. "So...I just finished the fishing rod I was making. Link, I figured I'd give it to you first thing in the morning but..." He looked down and sighed. "My dad said, 'You just wait until Link comes to get it!' So I didn't bring it to you..." Link waved his hand to dismiss the matter. "It's also the first day off in a while for Epona, right? She must be happy... Link, my mom has the fishing rod I made you for." He kicked a pebble in front of his foot. "Aww, I wish I'd brought it with me..."

Link smiled down at the young boy and ruffled up his hair to show it was nothing to worry about. With a wave, he headed on down to the village, that slingshot on the back of his mind.

:::

After a series of...interesting events (from goat-stopping to cat-chasing), Link returned to his place by mid-afternoon, the newly-acquired slingshot at his side. Just as he was reaching the top of the small hill, Rusl came walking to him from his house.

"Ah, just in time, Link!" he greeted. "I just delivered something to your room! Oh, I see you got that fishing rod" Rusl nodded. "Colin will be pleased. And it works better than you would think, right?" Link laughed lightly. To be able to chase the cat, Link first had to catch a fish. It was...something out of the ordinary for him. "Well, have a good one." Giving a curt nod, the swordsman headed back off down to the village.

A grin still playing on his face, and now wondering about what was awaiting him, Link headed to his house...only to have his three friends still waiting there.

"Link has a slingshot! WHOA!" praised Talo, eying the simple invention.

"Wow! You had the money to buy it, Link?" asked Beth, giggling at him.

"Preparations complete..." murmured Malo.

"Okay, wow, this is great! Let's see how powerful that slingshot is! Hit the targets AND those scarecrows!" Moving closer, Talo beamed up at Link. For being so much younger and so much shorter than Link was, Talo still managed to make him feel a little uneasy. But he was not about to pass up a chance at using his new slingshot. In a fluid motion, he brought it forward and proceeded to shoot down the targets that were set up in branches and the scarecrows he kept ready to practice sword fighting when he had the time. In nearly no time, he shot down all he had to.

"Whoa! Amazing, Link!" cheered the three of them all at once. Grinning at his accomplishment, Link put the slingshot away.

"By the way, Link..." started Beth. "Were you expecting Colin's dad to bring you something here? 'Cause he did."

"Oh, yeah! That's right... What was that, anyway?" questioned Talo.

"I command you to tell us..." finished off Malo.

Chuckling, Link quickly headed into his house and brought out what Rusl had delivered.

"Ooh, my! Isn't that a wooden sword, Link?" squealed Beth.

Talo's jaw dropped open. "Whoa... She's right! Hey, can I see that for a sec?" Link raised an eyebrow at him. "Seriously! Lately these monkeys have been coming out of the woods and playing tricks on us! We want to get them GOOD! C'mon, teach us how to use a sword!" he begged. Link, being barely able to get a single-syllable word in, nodded at the request. Talo jumped up and cheered, "YES!"

Laughing lightly, Link moved off to one of the scarecrows, his three fans close behind and awaited for him to show them some moves. They asked for specific moves, like a normal stab, a jump attack, horizontal slice, all fairly straight forward. With barely breaking a sweat, Link demonstrated all the moves with ease, the three kids cheering at each strike. To finish off his demonstration, Link was asked to perform his spin attack. Breathing out slowly, he moved forward, drew his wooden blade back, then let all his power loose.

A loud cheer erupted from the three kids, but this time a calm applause was added in the mix. Breathing heavily from that one move, Link looked over his shoulder and quickly, and somewhat flustered, went to greet the person who had been silently watching.

"Well done, Link," grinned San. Her sapphire hair was free at the moment since she was not working over the forge. He smiled in thanks at her compliment. "You certainly have been practicing. And good timing, too. Now you're all warmed up." A hint of a smirk tugged at her lips. "I actually came here to ask if you'd like to spar." Link blinked and then he noticed she was carrying her own wooden sword. The two friends would often spar together. In all their matches, Link had never won. He had tied with her, yes, but he had never won. "Well?"

He looked back up to her eyes, almost getting lost in the depths of their forests. He nodded. Hopefully today would be a new day and he would win a match. There was a first time for everything. The three other kids noticed a sparring match was starting and quickly fixed their attention upon the two older people there.

"C'mon, Link!" cheered the boys.

"Teach him a thing or two, San!" called out Beth. Though she nearly always swooned when Link did something, she would prefer San winning in a match any day. Not to mention it was the safer bet to be correct.

San and Link chuckled at their audience.

"Go Link!" Colin silently cheered as he came out from the far sidelines.

"You ready?" asked San, an eyebrow rising in question as she quickly tied her hair up. Grinning, he gave a firm nod. San nodded and, without waiting another second, dashed for Link.

The farm boy barely had time to raise his sword in defence. He grunted, pushing San back and moving to the side. But he was not fast enough. As San was pushed back, she spun around and ended up behind him, smacking him lightly on his back with the flat side of her sword. Link grunted out in surprise and quickly performed a spin attack. While the longer he held it to gather up his strength the more powerful it was, a hasty attack was still effective. Gasping in surprise, San managed to roll to the side and found safety from his attack.

Their fluid movements made the small audience cheer. San laughed lightly as she pushed herself back onto her feet, and just in time, too. Link had now performed one of his jump attacks, leaving San barely enough time to dash out of the way. She sighed in relief for she felt the wind made by his sword as it nearly hit her. The nearness of the attack produced a gasp from the four watchers.

"Close one, Link!" laughed San, moving in for another attack. It was a high blow, she knew, but sometimes the simplest attacks could be the most effective. Not this time. Link ducked and kicked her legs. San cried out in surprise as she landed on her back. She blinked and saw the playful smirk dancing on Link's face. His move caused the rest of the boys there to cheer. "Not bad," murmured San. Confident, Link moved in to deal what they considered a winning blow, but San was too fast. She rolled out of the way and using her sword, swung at Link's knees, causing him to fall back to the ground and a gasp from their audience.

Before Link could even open his eyes, San was above him, the tip of the wooden sword at his neck. "But not good enough," she grinned. The blue-haired girl kept the practice sword there for a moment longer, showing that her victory was complete. Beth cheered loudly, while the boys groaned then grudgingly clapped for the victor. Chuckling, San helped Link to his feet. "Y'know," muttered San once Link was standing in front of her. "I'd like to have at least one spar with you where you're not holding back."

Link blinked in confusion as she pulled away. How long had she known that he held back in their matches?

"Thanks, Link! San!" cheered Talo, coming forward. "So, uh, I...I think I get it... Kinda... Hmm..." His brow furrowed. "Maybe not..." He swung the stick he had picked up a couple times. "So this means that anytime one of those naughty monkeys shows up... WAH!" After his battle cry, Talo gave a mighty slice with the stick as though it were a sword. Both San and Link chuckled at his attempts. He still had much to learn if he wanted to become a swordsman.

Out of no where, a monkey came dashing in and headed for the woods. The six of them stared after it in surprise.

"C'MERE, YOU!" shouted Talo. Without any warning, Talo, Malo, and Beth went chasing after it.

"Hey, guys!" yelled out San. She reached out as if to stop them, but they were long gone from sight when she did.

"Everyone went into the woods... I wonder if they're okay..." said Colin, his expression falling. Link leaned down a little and placed a hand on the young blond's shoulder. That was enough to reassure Colin...for now.

"Link," came San. Standing back up, the farm boy looked to the apprentice blacksmith. It took one look from her and then the two friends were off. They would find their other friends.

:::

They had found Beth and Malo quickly enough, just by the Ordon Springs, and so it was left to finding Talo before he got hurt. They went all the way into Faron Woods in search of him (after meeting a guy that gave them a free lantern). Along their way they had found the stick Talo had taken with him as a sword when he chased after the monkey. At least they knew the two of them were still on the right track.

"Link!" exclaimed San, pointing to the far side of the small clearing they had entered. Ahead of them was an ancient tree, one that appeared to have been carved out and made into some sort of building. Taking a quick look around, the two decided that was the only reasonable place left for them to check. As quickly as possible, San and Link headed up the path. Hopefully Talo was up there.

"HEEEEELP!" Called out a voice when they neared the door. Sure enough, the voice belonged to Talo. But, since it was a cry for help, they picked up their pace. "Lemme out of here, please!" cried out the young boy.

"Talo! Hold on a sec!" said San when they reached the top. Talo was there, and so too was the monkey he had chased after. Both of them gasped when they saw Talo and the monkey had been put in a wooden cage. Guarding them were two moblins, which were quickly taken care of by San and Link.

"Lower your head and cover your eyes," commanded San. Nodding, the young boy followed her instructions and Link broke the wooden cage. As soon as the last piece of wood fell, the monkey went into ecstatics and cheered at them. The creature stayed only a moment before heading back on its own way.

"If you hadn't come, Link, San..." Talo meekly rubbed his arm as the three of them headed back for Ordon. "Gee, me and that monkey would've gotten eaten, probably! She's a pretty nice gal, that monkey... She tried to protect me, so we got captured together. Um, Link, San..." They all stopped as Talo looked up at them. "You're not gonna mention this to my dad, are you? He's always telling me to never, EVER go into the forest, 'cause he says it's so dangerous... So you really can't tell him! Really! You have to promise!" Link nodded while San sighed and chuckled before nodding. Talo was still Talo.

Twilight was falling as they neared the Faron Springs and two figures came running at them from the forest. San and Link tensed for a moment, thinking it was more trouble from the forest, but quickly relaxed once they saw who it was. Rusl and San's father, Derak, stopped in front of them. A sigh of relief escaped the burly, dark-haired blacksmith as he moved forward to give San a hug.

"Link! San!" greeted Rusl, a smile of relief on his face. "My son told me Talo disappeared into the woods and had not returned. We came as soon as we heard..." His eyes studied the three children. "But it looks like you have brought him home already... I apologize. Such a task should not fall to you."

"Still, well done, you two," praised Derak. "But next time, leave it to us." Moving from San to Talo, Derak placed a large hand on the young boy's shoulder and led him off in front of them and back to Ordon, San on her father's heels. Rusl and Link brought up the rear of the small group.

"Tell me, have you noticed how strange this wood seems lately?" asked Rusl quietly. His eyes looked from the forest floor to the canopy and swept about. "I feel...uneasy about what may lie in wait..." His look became distant for a moment before he shook his head and focused back on Link. "Anyway, Link... Tomorrow is finally the day. You will be departing for Hyrule. I think it is a good thing I have given this task to you..." Smiling, Rusl clapped Link on his back. "Good luck! And return safely! If you are lucky, you may even get to meet Princess Zelda!" He gave a hearty laugh.

When they reached the edge of Ordon, the adults and Talo went on ahead, San lingered back a moment, and Link headed for his house. He wanted to get to sleep early, tomorrow would be a big day for him.

"So, you're heading to Hyrule tomorrow, huh?" asked San. Link blinked and turned around. She let her blue hair down as she watched the setting sun. "The gift...it's a sword my dad just made. I thought Rusl was going to take it..." She gave a wry chuckle. "Guess plans can change." Link walked towards her, but stopped when she turned around, jade orbs locking on him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

The farm boy shuffled his feet in embarrassment. Silence hung in the air for a moment. When he opened his mouth to answer, San raised her hand to cut him off.

"Lemme guess...you forgot?" Sheepishly, Link nodded. He could not even look San in the eye. It was the first time he had ever forgotten to tell her something. With knowing each other practically all their lives, forgetting something for the first time was a harsh blow. "Well...I doubt I'd catch you before you left tomorrow... So...goodbye." He nodded to show he heard, but could not bring himself to look up.

A few moments passed and he finally glanced back up. His sapphire-haired friend was long gone, leaving him alone in the dusk. The farm boy pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. How could he have forgotten to tell her? When he headed for his ladder, Epona nickered at him. He sighed and nodded to himself. He was going to have to make it up to San sometime, he just wondered how.


	3. Descent Into Twilight

III

_Descent Into Twilight_

A strong gust of wind whipped back his hair as Link jumped over the fence out of Fado's Ranch with Epona. Today was the day he would set off for Hyrule. His brow furrowed as he felt the mare's legs buckle more than usual. That landing was off. Up ahead, he saw Ilia and Mayor Bo. The two looked up at Link and waved at him, Ilia quickly coming up to his side. Slowing Epona down to an easy walk, the two friends chatted on their way to the Mayor.

"Oh, done herdin' for the day, Link?" asked Bo when they neared. Link gave a firm nod and dismounted Epona. "Well, nice work." Bo led him away to talk while Ilia stayed with Epona. "The royal gift Rusl told you about is ready, so you should get ready for your trip to Hyrule Castle. Now, the royal family requested this gift specifically, so it's real special. It'd be...bad...if the representative of Ordon were to be late for such an occasion, you get me, lad?" Once more, Link nodded.

From behind, Ilia was preening over Epona. "The path before you is long, my sweet horse...but please bear Link safely along it." Her gaze swept over the auburn mare and she gasped. Both Link and the Mayor turned around to see what had gotten Ilia so upset. "Wait... What's this?" Ilia crouched down and studied one of Epona's front legs. "What's happened? She's injured, isn't she?" Rounding up, Ilia pursed her lips together and shot a look at Link who flinched. "Link? How could you! You were pushing Epona too hard again! I bet you hurt her leg jumping fences, didn't you?" Unable to face his friend, Link kept his gaze lowered.

"Now, now, Ilia," soothed her father. "There's no need to get so hot with him..."

"FATHER!" Even the Mayor was not safe from her rage. "How can you be so easy on him? You're the MAYOR! You should start acting like one!" Ilia stomped back off to Epona, leaving the two others there hanging their heads and braced for more scoldings. "You poor thing..." muttered Ilia, causing Link and Bo to cautiously look up. "It'll be all right, Epona. I'll take you to the forest spring right now." Without asking, she headed off with Epona's reins in hand. "Once we soothe you in the spirit's spring, you'll feel better in no time!"

Her actions left the other two stunned for a moment. "W-Wait! Ilia!" called out her father. "Why, without Epona...the gift won't be delivered in time!" If Ilia heard her father, she did not stop. "Oh, this won't do... What's a father to do... There's no way you'll be able to deliver our town's gift without Epona..." He let out a long sigh. "Well... You'd better get goin' and figure out what you're gonna do about Epona. Maybe you can head up to where Ilia is and see if she won't give you the horse back."

Link sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Things rarely seemed easy for him. First San got upset with him, and now Ilia got mad at him. Perhaps going to Hyrule Castle was not such a great idea after all. With a shake of his head, Link set off towards the springs.

As always, when he passed the blacksmith, his gaze traveled up for a moment. Like the previous days, smoke was coming from the forge. He wondered if it was San. For a moment, the farm boy was torn: go get Epona right away, or stop by and see if his friend was up? It took a couple seconds for him to decide. Epona could wait a few minutes, plus the spring would do her some good. Picking up his pace, Link headed up to the forge.

From outside, he could already feel the heat from the forge. Pausing at the door, Link listened to the workings going on inside. His expression fell. San was not the one at work. Despite it not being his friend, Link still knocked and entered. The least he could do was ask if she was awake yet.

"One moment," grunted Derak as he put what he was working on down. The burly blacksmith looked over his shoulder as he roughly cleaned off his hands. "Ah, Link! Shouldn't you be getting ready to head for the castle?"

Link quickly explained what happened, producing a deep chuckle to come from Derak. "One can only hope it would get better from that. So, what brings you here?" asked San's father, turning around. "Wait, wait... San?" Link nodded. "Afraid she's still asleep." His broad shoulders dropped a moment, as did Link's. "Afraid she stayed up late tinkering and putting some final touches on that sword. I'd wake her for you, but you know how she can be in the morning, especially when woken up by someone else." Link cracked a smile and laughed nervously. There were some interesting memories of San in the early morning. Put lightly, she could be rather grumpy.

"Hopefully she'll get up before you leave," continued Derak. "If so, I'll send her your way." Link nodded in thanks but then remembered how she was last night. Smile fading, Link shook his head and waved off the matter. Saying a quick goodbye, the farm boy went back in search for Epona.

:::

San stared up at her ceiling. Sighing, she ran a hand down her face. A groan escaped her as she sat up. Part of her now regretted staying up so late, but it was one of the rare times she could work in peace. The young blacksmith shook her head and in a few moments finally dragged herself out of bed.

"Mornin', dad," she yawned as she entered the forge.

"Afternoon," he muttered back, pausing in his work.

San did a double-take. "Afternoon!" Now she really regretted staying up so late.

"That's right. Don't stay up so late tonight, okay?" San meekly nodded. "Now, go say goodbye to Link. He should be around the Ordon Spring." His daughter blinked a couple times. "He stopped by to see you a bit ago, but you were still sleeping. He seemed somewhat upset, too. What happened?"

"I, er... He forgot to tell me he was going to Hyrule today..."

Silence hung in the air for a while. "That it?" Once more, San nodded. "San, San," he sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Go apologize to him. It's not nice leaving for a journey with the thought of a friend being upset at you. Especially one that takes the time to get from here to Hyrule Castle."

San looked up at her father. Though she was adopted, Derak was the only father she had known, and will know. He had always looked out for her, and when his wife died when San was young, he treated her with even more care. Never obsessive, just a helping hand when she needed it.

San looked out the window and judged the time. "Bu―"

"San," he said sternly. "He made a mistake. It's what people do. Don't have it weighing on either of your minds before he leaves. To err is human, but to forgive is divine." Patting her, he returned to the forge.

"Dad, I'm hardly 'divine'."

Derak looked over his shoulder at his daughter. "Oh, I think Link may argue against that," he winked.

Heat crept onto San's cheeks. Before she let him tease her even more, San quickly excused herself and headed outside. She could not deny it...her father was right. Sighing, she shook her head at how silly she had been for getting upset at Link. She quickly glanced up. There was still time. Nodding to herself, San headed off for the Ordon Spring.

"Liiiiink?" she called out when the clear waters of the spring came into view. No one was there. No Link. No Ilia. No Epona. No one. "What the...?" Her face scrunched up in confusion. The gates to the tranquil place had been broken. She was studying them for a moment, trying to figure out what could have done such damage, when a presence scratched at her mind.

Catching her breath, the young blacksmith looked skyward and backed up a few steps. Low in the sky hung a dark portal. Rather geometric designs spread out from the center glowed an eerie green. She was temporarily mesmerized by it and took a few steps closer. As she stared into its dark abyss, San swore she saw a pair of glowing orange eyes appear through it.

The young blacksmith became frozen in fear.

Those eyes held her in place though every part of her body was screaming at her to run. What was once a warm wind that caressed her skin now became a deathly chill, stinging sharply where it marred her. "I've found you..." hissed a voice from everywhere. The bodiless voice sent an icicle up her spine.

"Link!" she called out, breaking from the hold the eyes had on her. Tearing away, she ran. Instead of running back to the village, which may have been a better idea, she ran where her feet took her, which was over the bridge, _away_ from the village. Up ahead she spotted someone. Clad in a farmer's outfit, she grinned in relief and called out her friend's name once more. He did not turn around.

As she made her way across the bridge, twilight fell across the land. Pausing in her step, she breathed out in confusion. It was hardly time for dusk, yet why was twilight descending upon them? Up ahead, she saw Link had stopped. In front of him was that same darkness she saw above the spring, blocking off the rest of the path. Instead of glowing green, the designs glowed an odd orange. San moved to catch up to Link but soon shouted out his name in horror.

Without any warning, a hand had reached through the wall of twilight and pulled him in. Faltering in her steps, San gasped and covered her mouth in shock. "No, Link..." She gripped onto the bridge which was all that kept her on her feet for the moment. Grunting in anger, she took a few shaky steps forward but soon took them back. As much as she wanted to go in there after Link, something else was calling her towards it. A flash of morbid eyes appeared at the wall for a split second. That presence in her mind...it was beckoning her on.

"No!" she shouted. Turning herself around, she ran back to the village. The image of Link being pulled in and his yell in terror plagued her as she made her way back. No one would believe her... She was alone in this...alone with that presence trying to enter her consciousness. Somehow, she swore she would find Link. Somehow...

:::

Link closed his eyes tight. This day was not turning out well for him. Not well at all. At first everything had been fine, then Rusl had asked him to deliver the gift to Hyrule Castle, which was when it started the series of events that changed his life. First that monkey, which led to San finding out about the trip and getting upset at Link for not remembering to tell her. Then, in his troubled mind-set from that, the farm boy had jumped Epona badly which resulted in Ilia getting angry with him. From then on in is when his life really changed.

Since San had still been asleep, he quickly went off to Ordon Spring. Epona had been healed, and even Ilia had cooled down, voicing her concern for him on the journey ahead. But then, out of the blue, King Bulbin showed up riding his giant boar, kidnapped Ilia and Colin, and knocked Link out. When he had come to, Link frantically went off in search of his friends. Twilight began to smother him as he crossed the bridge, but he dismissed it. While running, he thought he heard his name on the wind, but waved it aside thinking it was just his mind playing tricks on him. Upon reaching the top and seeing the wall of twilight, he stopped and was then wrenched in without warning.

That was when his world turned upside down.

The dusk-covered land was a mockery of the land Link knew. After being pulled in, the farm boy had managed to stand and take a few shaky steps forward before falling to his knees. Burning. Every inch of his body had been burning. Not from heat outside, which was actually fairly cool, but from inside. A fire had been lit inside his body and it was not going away. He screamed out in pain, hoping that somewhere someone would come and help him, but to no avail. The burning sensation ripped through his skin and he felt his body become twisted and perverse. He was becoming something else. His yell transformed into a howl. And when the pain became too much to bear, he blacked out.

After that, he was not exactly sure of what happened. Link woke in a cell, chained to the ground by a paw. A paw? He wanted to shout out in surprise then, but it was more of a bark than anything else. He studied himself for a moment, and sure enough, he had somehow become a wolf.

It was then he met Midna.

She was an odd imp of a creature, crowning a giant stone headpiece. A plotting smirk seemed ever present on her visage. But, despite what motives may have driven her, she did help Link escape from his new prison and revealed to him the Twilight Realm he was in. It was not just any place in the Twilight Realm, as he soon found out, it was Hyrule Castle. Spirits of the soldiers guarded the halls, and he could sense the presence of the spirits belonging to the people down in the market. After getting used to his new body, with some instruction and guidance from Midna, he had reached the tower to meet the person the imp had told him to see.

After some talking between Midna and the strange woman, the woman revealed herself to be none other than Princess Zelda. Thanks to her explanation, Link now knew what had happened to make the land of Hyrule slowly start slipping into Twilight. It was the works of someone named Zant, the claimed leader of the Twilight Realm. They did not have much time before the guard returned, and so Link and Midna took their leave while the could.

Once outside, Midna kept the promise she had made to take Link back to his land. So this is now where he was, being warped through a twilight portal back to his realm. After the weird sensation of being rematerialized, Link managed to open one eye and look around. He relaxed a moment, feeling secure back in Ordon Springs. When he sighed, he noted something was off.

He was still in wolf form.

"Oh, that's right. I forgot to mention one thing..." began Midna. As she spoke, Link looked over his shoulder. The imp was not there. He looked around in the immediate vicinity. She was not there either. "Though you may have left the darkened realm, you haven't transformed back to your former self...and you won't any time soon!" She let out one of her teasing giggles. "Now why could that be? Eee hee hee! See you later!"

Snorting, Link took one last look around the springs before heading off to Ordon. Night had long since blanketed the land. Trotting along, he suddenly stopped a few feet outside the springs.

"So, um, what next?" asked a bodiless voice. That familiar giggle reached his sensitive ears. "Did you think I'd disappeared?" Link looked down to the ground for a moment and saw his shadow move around and create the form of Midna in front of him. A playful smirk spread across her face. "Listen, there's another thing I forgot to tell you... Don't think you can just run off and save your friends, because you can't." She sniffed and crossed her arms. "Just beyond that bridge, the land is covered in twilight. Last time, a shadow beast pulled you through the curtain of twilight... But if you want to go that way this time, you'll need the cooperation of someone FROM the twilight." She grinned and giggled. "Like me!

"So you really have no choice but to do what I say. Saving your friends and all that... Well, that'll depend on your actions... Because you never can trust words, you know. Right now, I want a sword and shield that'll suit me." Her amber eyes flashed. "You do understand me, don't you? Eee hee hee!" In the blink of an eye, Midna disappeared and Link's shadow returned to where it should be. He shook his head and would have sighed were he able to. "So, what do you plan to do? While you're here dawdling, the twilight continues to expand. Come on! Hurry it up!"

Barking, Link returned on his way to Ordon. In his new wolf form, he found the night seemed much more alive than it did when he was in human form. The scents of the forest and nearing village tingled his senses. The place practically sung to him. A few moments later and he was at his house.

"Wait!" called out a voice. Stopping, Link looked around for the source of the voice. There were no people about who could have spoken. "I don't know what you've come here to do, but if you're going into town, be careful!" Ears twitching, he looked over in the direction of his house. Sitting on the landing was a squirrel. Link made a noise in surprise, unused to having animals talk to him. "THEY came and made both the forest and the village a mess... They kidnapped the children form the village... But you're different..." The squirrel tilted his head in question at the wolf. "You're not a bad thing, are you?"

Scampering down the ladder, the brown squirrel stopped in front of Link and sniffed. "I can tell, because you smell like the trees of Ordon... If you run into any trouble, try talking to the animals in town. We animals understand one another, so you'll be fine!" Before he could say anything in return, the squirrel dashed off for the forest, leaving Link to mull over the new information.

Nodding, and with a new level of determination, Link headed on down to the rest of the village. A few of the animals there talked to him, one warning him to stay out of sight of the people since he looked like a monster. Sneaking around on his light paws, Link spotted Mayor Bo talking with Jaggle. Surely the Mayor had some idea of what was going on, Link figured, and he hoped he would catch some of that information.

"Oh! About that shield..." started Jaggle as Link neared.

"Hey! Not so loud..." hushed the Mayor.

"I checked, as we discussed." Pausing, Jaggle's eyes fell onto where Link stood.

"M-Monsteres!" yelled Bo. "No use! Quick! Hide!" In their frantic state, Link took his chance and escaped back into the shadows, leaving the men be. He snorted in frustration. There were still some things he would have to get used to in wolf form. Trying again, he crept back up near Jaggle and Bo, only this time, he made sure he was completely hidden.

"H-Hey... Did the monster leave?" asked Jaggle, his voice shaking.

"Hoo... Hah... I think they scattered..." answered Bo. Mentally, Link could not help but snicker at the trouble he had caused. "We gotta hurry before the monsters find us again... You bring the shield that's at your house. I'll go to Derak's place and get the sword we were to present in Hyrule. Hurry! I'm gonna have to go search for those children in Rusl's stead. He's too injured to move quick. And Derak can't go either since he's lookin' after San."

Link's ears perked up as the men continued. "Gotcha, Mayor," nodded Jaggle. "I'll hurry and get the shield. You wait here..." Snorting, Link revealed himself on purpose this time. He needed a shield and he could not have Jaggle getting to it before he did.

"No good! Run!" shouted the Mayor as he spotted Link once more. Giving a growl, Link moved forward to make sure the two men left completely.

"That's not a bad bit of information you heard, huh?" came Midna in the bodiless voice. "Ugh... Look at that open window." Though he could not see her, Link knew which one she was pointing at. "This village is full of idiots. So... We should jump up there...but from where?"

Knowing the village like the back of hand, Link went to go jump up to the pillar-like stones only to be attacked by a hawk that had been sent at him by Hanch. Growling softly, Link found a way to sneak up behind Hanch and scare him off. From there, Link jumped up the waterwheel and into the open window Midna had noticed.

Once inside, he saw the shield mentioned earlier up on the other loft. Promptly, he made his way up to it.

"Eee hee! Found it! Found it!" squealed Midna, coming from his shadow and taking hold of it by using her headpiece. She studied the armor for a moment. "It looks...kind of cheap..." With a sigh, she stowed it away anyway. "All right, then... Next is a sword." In a flash she disappeared back into Link's shadow. "Hurry up and get one!"

Snorting in annoyance, Link rolled his eyes before heading back out. Sticking to the shadows, he made his way over to the blacksmith. It came into view all too soon and he barely had time to hide on the low side of the hill when Derak looked out with his lantern. From where he hid, Link could make out the upper half of Derak and could listen in.

"What was that sound?" The blacksmith swung the lantern about for more light. "The children could not have returned...could they?"

Behind him, the door opened and out came San. Link had to keep himself from bolting up to her. "Dad, let me come with you, please!" she begged.

"No, San." Turning around, Derak placed a free hand on his daughter's shoulder. "First of all, you are injured." San gripped at her arm. "Second, even if you weren't, I wouldn't let you out searching."

"Bu―"

"No buts! Return inside and rest. I have placed the sword that was to be our gift to Hyrule on the couch. If the Mayor comes for it, please give it to him."

Sighing, San nodded and went back inside. Link watched and waited for the blacksmith to move far enough away from the house for him to be able to sneak up. The chance came, and he took it. Using his senses, Link found a place under the wall that he was able to burrow through. He made a mental note to tell San that her house needed a little patchwork done.

Once inside, he shook off the dirt then looked around. A warm fire crackled on one wall, and opposite that was the couch Derak had mentioned. On it lay the sword he had meant to have been entrusted with on his journey to Hyrule. How things changed. Not thinking he had to be stealthy, Link walked forward to claim the sword, but jumped back a step when it suddenly flew from the couch.

He looked to where it had gone and realized it had not flown, but rather someone had taken it up in such haste it had been a blur. San stood before him, blade drawn and aimed at him. He noted she was using her left hand since her right one had been injured. Perhaps when the monsters kidnapped the kids, he figured. She opened her mouth to call for her father when Link gave a whine

Blinking slowly, San closed her mouth back up and stared at Link. Her forest-green eyes glared at him. Out of all the people there, he hoped San would be the one to figure out the truth behind his form. Ears drooping, he came to think he had been mistaken. Link backed up a step slowly, tail moving between his legs to show he meant no harm. Whether or not she understood was another matter. In case she did not figure it out, Link readied himself to run if need be.

San continued to stare at him, as if trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together. Link stared right back with his blue eyes, not blinking. A soft gasp escaped her and her sharp glare softened. Blinking in surprise, Link's eyes then went wide at what happened. The sword had fallen to the floor, clattering lightly, because, in around the time it took to blink, San had gone down on her knees before the the wolf and was hugging him.

"Oh, Link..." she whispered. "Is it you? Are you okay? What happened to you?" All of her questions were asked in one breath. He whimpered lightly in sadness and pulled back. He licked her hand to show that he was fine. She ran her hand over his fur. "What are you doing here?"

Barking lightly, he pointed to the sword with his snout. Link had always been happy with the fact San knew what he meant to say with no words at all, but right now he was grateful for it. After pointing, he looked back to San. She seemed to be thinking it all over.

"You came for the sword?" He nodded in affirmation. The young blacksmith was silent for a long time, so silent Link could almost hear the gears at work in her mind. The pensive frown that had been forming on her face soon changed into a slight grin. "Well... I suppose I can let you have it since you _were_ meant to be the one to take it to Hyrule." Giving a wry chuckle, she stood up, grabbed the sword and handed it out to him. "Well...I don't quite get why you need it...but if you say you do..." Nodding, Link took the weapon in his jaw. Looking up, he saw the sorrowful expression on his friend's face. "I'll find a way to help you," she promised, kneeling back down and patting his head.

Link gave her a lingering glance before leaving her house the way he had come in. He snorted once he got back into the cool night air and shook off what dirt clung to him.

"All right... So now you have a sword. Looks like you can actually be useful when you concentrate!" giggled Midna as she took the sword from him. "All right... No more detours. I'm going to take you back into the twilight. Go back to he woods where you first transformed into that shape!" Before she even finished speaking, Link dashed off, making sure to stick to the shadows, as he headed back for the Ordon Springs.

:::

San paced around in front of the fireplace. She had tried sitting, but that had not worked for her. There had to be some answer as to why Link was now a wolf, and something she could do to help. That wall of twilight... It had all started at that point. She nodded, her decision made. Tomorrow, she would return to that wall and try to enter it. There had to be answers on the other side, she hoped.

While the young blacksmith had been busy thinking, she had failed to notice the presence creeping in on the boundaries to her mind. Since she had been occupied, the presence slowly edged its way into her consciousness. Once San had decided what to do, she felt something off. She spun around, thinking it was something tangible. Only then did she realize the ominous presence had returned, and by then it was too late.

Her scream pierced the night air.

Searing pain wanted to split open her head. Clutching at her skull as though it would help, San fell to her knees and doubled over. She muttered phrases under her breath, words like "No", and "Go away". Her breathing became ragged as the pain intensified, the presence realizing it had gained a foothold in her mind.

"You're..._mine_..." rattled the bodiless voice she heard at the spring. The voice surrounded and nearly smothered her. Whimpering, San curled up as much as she could, hoping that would help. The pain and the presence only moved to take a stronger hold on her.

She was forced to look up against her will. By the far wall, a portal large enough for a grown man to walk through appeared. Seeping out from the center were the same markings she had seen on the wall of twilight past the springs. Crying out again, she tried to look back down but was unable to.

"At last..." hissed the voice once more. This time, however, the voice came from a single place: through the portal. From its depths emerged a foot, followed by another. Out of the shadows walked a tall man clad in black robes. Atop his head rested a tall helmet that also his his face. "Ahh..." sighed the man, fully emerged. The evil smirk dripped off his words. "Such time spent in searching...and now I have you..."

"W-what?" grunted out San behind clenched teeth. The pain had receded, but the presence was stronger than ever with the man there in front of her.

Calmly, the man walked forward and grabbed her by her injured arm and forced her to stand. San screamed out in pain once more, his grip tightening. "It is time..."

"San!" shouted someone from outside. Weakly, the young blacksmith glanced for the door. Oh, how she hoped it was Link, but she doubted it was him. Her doubts were confirmed when her father bolted in. He looked around for a moment before his eyes fell on San and the man holding her.

A spine-chilling laugh escaped the man from the portal. "Well, well... Thank you for taking care of her, but now it's my turn."

"Let go of my daughter NOW, whoever the hell you are!" shouted Derak. He charged forward, but was shot back by a mere wave of the strange man's arm.

"My name is Zant. Remember it, human," sneered Zant.

"Dad!" shouted out San as she was pulled back by Zant towards the portal. Her father called out to her but he could do no more. "Tell Link... Tell Link, I'm sor―!" Her breath was snatched from her as soon as they entered the twilight portal. The last thing she remembered was her father calling out to her one more time before the darkness engulfed her.


	4. Fading Memories

IV

_Fading Memories_

The sound of a water droplet splashing down reached her ears. Blinking, the young blacksmith looked up. Since she had been kidnapped by that Zant, San had no idea how much time had passed. It could have been minutes, hours, days, even weeks, she had no way of telling. Her vision slowly became clear. This land she had been taken to...it sucked the very joy from her body. Hope was a distant memory that was slipping through her fingers like grains of sand. Not only was hope slipping, but so to were her other memories of home and the people she knew. They shattered to dust in her mind, so small in size she could not grab hold and save them. In fact, the more she tried to remember, the faster they escaped her. In this land of twilight, only the most important of memories barely stayed with her:

Her father, Derak, and her dearest friend, Link.

She clutched at her head. The presence that had invaded her mind was still there. It had gained a foothold in her consciousness and was not about to let go. Ever-present, it continued to whisper phrases in her mind, and they were not pleasant.

"Stop... Please stop," she begged, looking up. No answers awaited her up there. Whatever room she was in was so high that the ceiling could not be seen, it merely faded off into a black abyss. On the walls rested the same designs she had seen since she first saw the hint of twilight back in her world.

Was it her world? San pulled at her hair and looked back down. She could not even remember that now. How long had she been here? Days? Weeks? _Wait..._ San blinked, looking around. _Didn't I already wonder that?_ she thought. A water droplet splashed down again.

"Where...where am I?" she breathed. The voice in her head continued to whisper phrases, never once letting up. A cloud of confusion crossed over her mind as she looked down at her hands. "Who...who am I...?" Nothing. She had no idea how much more time had passed since her eyes first opened in this place. The darkness continuously crept in and out about her. With each wave, she could feel it press in on her mind, keeping her memories blocked. When it receded, she could almost reach out and gather them back up. But as long as that darkness was there, she was not going to be able to.

Sighing in sadness, the blue-haired girl buried her face in her hands and curled up to wait some more. In this twilight, in this realm that fed off her happiness, there was one single ray of light, one that the darkness could not destroy.

A tear rolled down her cheek. It trickled down until it fell and splashed on the floor. San pulled her knees in closer, holding onto that shred of light.

"Link...I'm sorry..."

:::

A warm breeze swept up and over the vast fields of Hyrule. Link reached back to make sure his hat stayed on through the gust of wind. Yes, he was now back in human form. Kicking his heels, the farm boy urged Epona on. Things had happened so fast, it had all just led from one to another, barely giving him time to pause and think it over. After getting the sword and shield from Ordon, Midna had taken him back to the Twilight Realm that covered Faron Woods. Blanketed in the ever-lasting dusk, he had gone about to gather the Tears of Light and returned them to Faron, a spirit of light who resided in the springs.

Once he had done so, the twilight lifted from the woods and he had been returned to human form, only this time, he was garbed in what Faron said to be the clothing of the old hero, one chosen by the gods. He could still hardly believe it, _he_ was now the new hero chosen by the gods. Sitting straighter, he thought about what he had just done over the past few days.

He had battled his way through the Forest Temple, received the Gale Boomerang, and by the end of it, defeated the monster that had been tainted by the dark power that had been locked away in the temple. He could hear Midna grumble something in the back of his mind. After defeating the great monster, the shadow that had tainted it fell free. Link remembered what Midna said then well:

"That's...what I was looking for." She had picked it up. "That's a Fused Shadow. It's what the light spirit called dark power... Do you remember what the spirit said? About how you had to match the power of the king of shadows?" Midna studied the Fused Shadow. "Could it really be so easy? Is this all there is to it? Eee hee hee! There's a total of three Fused Shadows. I think the other light spirits have the rest..."

In the end, Link decided that Midna was just helping him for her own needs. But, help him she did. It was then he returned to Faron who told him of another spirit of light, Eldin, the province to the west. To get there, he had to once again travel through land blanketed in twilight, which meant returning to wolf form. At least now it did not hurt as much when he transformed. It was still jarring, but he was growing adjusted to it.

Like in Faron Woods, Link had to recover the Tears of Light that were scattered about Kakariko to restore Eldin's power and bring the province back from the Twilight Realm. It was in that village he found the kids, all save for Ilia. He was frustrated that she had not been there, but he would keep on searching. While in Kakariko, a man named Renado told him of the Goron tribe that resided up on Death Mountain. To get there, though, he would have to know how to face their brute strength in battle. And to do that, he had to return to Ordon, for it was Mayor Bo that knew the secret how.

Shadows fell across his face as Link raced on through the woods, almost back home, where everything had started. At least he was not returning empty handed, the news of the children would make the other villagers relieved. He only felt bad that Bo would not be as relieved for his daughter was still missing. Not stopping to talk to the other people in Ordon, Link reached the Mayor's house.

"LINK?" exclaimed the Mayor when Link came into view. Bo rubbed his eyes and looked again. "Whoa, it IS you, Link! You're safe and sound!" Grinning, he clapped the young man on his back when he neared, knocking some of the wind out of him. "Your clothes... What happened to you, lad? C-Come quick! Inside!" As Bo led him inside, Link began to explain the information concerning the kids. The Mayor did not need to know about the Twilight Realm and how Link turned into a wolf. That would only add more worry than needed.

"I see..." muttered the Mayor. "So the young'uns are in Kakariko Village!" He let out a laugh. "Well, that's good... Renado's an old friend. If they're in his care, then we can relax. So...don't keep me waitin', lad! Tell me of my little girl! Ilia is with the rest of 'em, right?" Link glanced down and shifted his weight. "...Oh! I see... That ain't what I wanted to hear... Ahh... But Link... I guess I need to think of all five of those poor kids, not just my own... They're all in danger." Link looked up and nodded at the Mayor. "What I should be askin' is how can I help you..."

Nodding, Link gave his offer and the reason he had returned.

"What's that, now?" asked Bo. "The Gorons of Death Mountain?" Link gave a firm nod. "I see... So Renado told you that... Well, it's true...I did defeat the Gorons in a contest of strength and earned their trust." Grinning, he gave a wink to the farm boy. "...With the help of a secret. I CAN teach you the secret...but can you promise that you absolutely, positively will NOT disclose it to anyone?"

Grinning, Link nodded.

"Good. All righty, then. Absolutely no one! Come this way." The Mayor led him into the back of the house where he had a ring set up. At first Link was puzzled over the Mayor teaching him to sumo wrestle, but if it meant finding out the secret, he would do it. After learning how to wrestle, and beating Bo (which he got he hang of quickly because it was similar to wrestling goats), the Mayor showed him his secret.

From a chest, Link managed to pull out what the Mayor called his secret. Grunting, the farm boy swore he pulled a muscle as he pulled the item out.

Behind, the Mayor laughed. "You can probably tell, those boots are made of iron, lad." Link grunted to show he could tell. "Whoever wears 'em won't easily be pushed around...even by a Goron." While Bo explained, Midna used her powers and made the boots easier for Link to carry, who sighed softly in relief. "If you're fixin' to fight a Goron, be sure to wear those boots." Bo's expression fell and he became serious. "Let's be square, though, lad: you can't ever tell ANYONE about those boots! 'Specially Renado!"

Once more, Link nodded to the Mayor, then said his goodbyes before heading off. "Oh! Link!" called out the Mayor. Pausing at the door, Link looked over his shoulder. Bo was silent for a moment, as if debating whether or not he should say what he had planned on telling Link. "Make sure you go over and speak with Derak before you head back to Kakariko. He would want to tell you something."

Link's brow furrowed as he tried to guess what the Mayor was talking about. Nodding lightly, he left Bo's place and headed for the blacksmith.

_What are you doing? We need to go get the other Fused Shadows! _exclaimed Midna in his mind. Sighing, he pushed her as far from his thoughts as possible. This was his time. The Fused Shadows would come later.

For the first time since entering Ordon, he noted that no smoke rose from the forge. That was his first sign that something was wrong. Brow furrowing with worry, he picked up his pace to the house. Then, he realized what Bo had told him... He had said to go see _Derak_. Why had he mentioned the old blacksmith and not his friend? As he neared, he hoped his fears were for nothing.

"Link?" asked Derak once he entered. The blacksmith stared at him in amazement. He blinked several times, heading up to the farm boy. "Link! It IS you! Everything okay?" blurted out Derak in a rush. Forcing a smile, Link nodded and quickly explained that the children were fine. A sigh of relief escaped the blacksmith. "That's good... Did you see the Mayor already?" Again, Link nodded. There was silence for a moment and Link took that time to look around. His worry returning, the farm boy opened his mouth to ask a question, but Derak cut him off. "Wonderin' where's San?" Link grunted in confirmation. The father sighed. "Come... Come sit down..."

The two men headed over to a couch and Link sat while the blacksmith went over to the fireplace and placed a hand on the mantel. "San...she's... She's been kidnapped, Link." The young hero gasped and nearly bolted up, but noticed Derak still had more to say. "It was the night when the other young ones were taken... She was in here... I thought she would be safe in here...!" The blacksmith slammed his fist on the mantel. "I heard her screaming, and when I got in there was a man taking her through a portal of some sort. He said his name was Zant..." Link tensed. First Zant had covered the land in twilight, and now he had kidnapped one of his closest friends. Why, though? What was so special about San that he took her? "I tried to get her back, but I couldn't!"

Derak was not the type of man who let his emotions take over him. As such, Link knew that losing his daughter like that tormented him more than anything. First his wife had died, and now San was missing. Standing, Link placed a hand on the blacksmith's shoulder. It was a small act, but it still showed he was empathetic to how Derak felt.

"You're going back out there, aren't you? Back into the rest of Hyrule?" asked Derak. Link made a noise in confirmation. "Keep an eye out for her, will ya?" Smiling, the young hero nodded. The blacksmith did not even have to ask. "Thank you. Y'know, if you like, you can go up to her room for a bit. For memories' sake an' all before you head back out." He forced a laugh. "Especially since she won't be able to kick you outta there."

Link laughed lightly before nodding and heading over to her room. San's room was a loft at the back of the house. Once, he remembered, when he was younger, Link had tried to go to her room since she had been sleeping in. Derak had been quick to tell him not to unless he wanted the scolding of his life. Even when San was sick, he had not been allowed to visit her as long as she was up there.

Climbing the ladder, he reached the landing and sighed softly. It was a modest room. A bed, a few personal possessions, a dresser for clothes and some of her work tools were lying around. Walking about, he took his time since many of her possessions held memories for him as well. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he saw what was on her nightstand. Other than the lamp, there was a photo and a small wooden figurine.

A smile touched his lips as he picked up the figurine first. A couple years ago, he had made it for her for her fourteenth birthday. It was a carved out wolf. He gave a wry chuckle at the choice of animal. A simple gift, but it had taken him a couple nights and days to finish it for her. Placing it down, he then picked up the old photo.

Raising a hand to his mouth, he stifled a light chuckle at how they looked when they were kids. It had been taken at one of her earlier birthdays...when San turned six, he believed. Back then, the young blacksmith rarely opened up to anyone. Not Ilia. Not even Link. But, in the photo, Link was giving a childish grin while San had a small smile on her face. It was after that she had started to warm up to the other villagers, he remembered, as though a shadow had been lifted from her.

Lost in his thoughts, it took Link a moment to noticed Midna was humming something, a few words being thrown in. He did not hear the entire thing, but a few words that stuck out was his name, San's, and something about a tree. _Done skipping down Memory Lane yet?_ she asked in a droll. With a sigh, Link placed the photo down and headed back for the door.

"Link! One more thing," came Derak as the young hero was opening the door. "San wanted to tell you something just before that man took her." Link blinked. "I didn't hear all of it before she was cut off... But, I believe she wanted to say 'I'm sorry'." Hanging his head, Link could not bring himself to say anything in return. All he did was nod in thanks before running out.

San... He would find her. Since Zant had been the one to take her, he figured the fastest way to getting her back would be to gather up the rest of the Fused Shadows. He clenched a fist thinking about it as he headed back to Kakariko on Epona.

_Easy there, hero boy,_ Midna nearly taunted in his mind. _You'll get her back soon enough... Possibly._

Grunting, he urged Epona to go faster. He had to save his friends.

:::

_Link..._

That one thought, that single strand of light, was all that kept San from losing her mind. Where she came from. How she ended up there. Who she was. All of these questions and more she could not answer due to lack of memories. The darkness that had been flooding her mind had lessened only slightly, and it was because she held onto the one memory of Link. The voice, however, was another story. In her seclusion, she had come to block out the voice somewhat, but it was still there.

Clutching her head still, San clung to the image of Link. She could not remember much about him, only that he was important to her. Blue eyes that were like running water. Blond hair that shone in the sunlight. And a smile that could light up the world. She whispered his name to keep a hold of him, afraid that if she forgot that, all would be lost.

"Reminiscing, are we?" came a voice that was not inside her head. Gasping, San pushed some of her fallen bangs out of her line of sight. From the shadows appeared a man in dark robes and a strange headpiece. As soon as her green eyes fell on him, she felt a momentary sharp pain in the back of her mind.

"Zant," she grunted, clutching at her head. Looking back up, she shot a glare at him. One shattered memory was put back together as she remembered the night he captured her.

"You remember?" He gave a cold-hearted laugh that sent a chill up San's spine. "I was wondering if you would be able to withstand this place or not."

"What happened to my memories?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"They slipped from you while in the Twilight Realm. Don't worry, they should come back to you if something triggers it." He paused a moment, as if pondering his own theory. "I think."

"What do you want with me?"

Though she could not see, the smirk was heard in his words. "That is on a need-to-know basis. Here." He tossed out a pile of clothes to San. "You may want to put those on."

San narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

"Because if you don't, your memories will just keep slipping from you while you're here." Lips pursed, she glared at Zant who stood there. After a few moments, he let out a cold chuckle. "Very well. I shall return later."

As he slipped back into the shadows, the blue-haired girl called out, "Who am I...?"

Laughing, he lingered in her sight for a moment. "That, my dear, you shall find out later."

"Wait!" shouted out San, but it was too late. Zant had gone, leaving the young woman all alone. Closing her eyes tight, she shook her head. This all had be some bad dream, right? "Wake up... Wake up!" Clutching at her head, she willed for the dream to stop. The silence pressed in on her ears, but she did not wake. The voice in her mind gave a mocking laugh before returning to muttering phrases.

It was not a dream.

Letting out a sob, San tried to hold onto the memories she had just gotten back even though they were painful ones, but she could feel them returning to the shattered state they were previously in. Grunting, she reached for the dark clothing that had been left in front of her and quickly changed into them. As soon as the clothing touched her skin, she could feel the memory of Zant stop fading away.

Sighing, she sat back down and hugged her knees to her chest. While she waited, the young woman tried to regain more of her memories while holding onto the one dearest to her.

_Link..._

:::_  
_

The black cloak swished against the floor as the woman walked forward. Footsteps created by her dark boots echoed off the walls. A broadsword clanged lightly against her back with each step she took. When one of her feet touched the floor, the designs upon it glowed bright at her presence before dying back down as her foot moved away. Creatures of the Twilight Realm moved further back as she passed them in the halls. In what light there was in the place, the hood and loose mask hid her face in shadows. In fact, there seemed to be more shadows than natural, is if they were making up her face. In that darkness, however, a pair of eyes glowed bright orange, and black hair escaped her hood and fell down her shoulders.

Standing before a large set of doors, she paused and waited for them to slide open. Walking in, her eyes fell upon the man at the far end. He sat on a throne and lazily motioned her to keep moving forward. Deliberately, she walked slowly up to the base of the throne since she did not like the one sitting on it.

"Good to have you with us," grinned Zant from behind his mask.

"Lord Zant," murmured the woman, going down on one knee for a moment. At this angle, she freely shot a glare that was masked by her hood before rising. Her voice seemed to echo, as though it were hollow. It also carried only the faintest hint of emotions.

"So how are you finding your new power? Is it all you hoped for?"

The woman tilted her head slightly. "It is...adequate."

Zant gave a cold laugh. While many would have felt cold at the sound of his voice, the woman felt nothing at all. "Mmm. Well, I have a task for you," he grinned, steepling his fingers. "In the land of Hyrule, there is a young 'hero' going around with that traitor, Midna, who is taking back the land from the Twilight."

"You wish me to stop him?"

"No, no, actually. I want you to follow him and make sure that he does not die...yet." An evil smirk played out in his voice. "He is gathering the Fused Shadows. May as well let him do the dirty work. Help him when he needs it...but try not to show yourself to him. But..." Zant raised a hand. "If it is something where you may die by helping him...let him fall. You are much more important to us than the brat."

Below, the woman nodded. "As you command."

"He should be in the Lanayru Province by now, heading for Lake Hylia. Go there, Shadow, and follow him once you find him."

Nodding, the woman named Shadow backed up a step before pausing. "What is his name?"

"A mere farm boy, Link."

Finished, Shadow raised her arm and created a portal in the twilight. She closed her eyes and felt her body being pulled into the portal. The throne room and Zant disappeared from her senses and soon she found herself standing atop the Great Bridge of Hylia. Glancing about, she sighed at the twilight that smothered the Lanayru Province. Since she had nothing better to do while waiting, Shadow sat down and watched the horizon for this so-called hero. Wincing, she shied away from a single ray of light that broke through the twilight and fell on her.

However, that shred of light reminded her of something. Looking back out, she whispered, "Link..."


	5. An Unforeseen Ally

V

_An Unforeseen Ally_

Link dashed along the Lanayru Province as the blue-eyed beast. He felt as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. A small weight, but it still made a difference. He had defeated the beast atop of Death Mountain that had gone crazy from the Fused Shadow and brought peace to the Gorons. After that, he headed into the Lanayru Province. But before heading to Lake Hylia, he and Midna had traveled through the Castle Market. Why? Because he had caught the scent of Ilia and followed it to the source. She was safe in a bar and being taken care of. The most he could do for her now was to lift the twilight from the province and the Castle Market.

Now, though, he still had one more friend to find. Link growled under his breath at the thought of what Zant had done. Soon, now, the final Fused Shadow would be in their possession. And he hoped with that, he would be led to Zant or San, for surely they were tied to each other in this scheme of things.

His claws clacked against the stones of the Great Bridge of Hylia. He wondered how much more time would pass before he could return home to Ordon. How different would things be for him after all this? So lost in thoughts was he that it took a few moments for Midna's voice to register. She bonked him on his head, making him slow down and stop.

"Hey, do you smell anything funny?" she asked, giving a sniff. Blinking, Link raised his snout to the air and sniffed as well, his heightened senses picking up on the smell Midna had noticed. It stung his nose and he quickly snorted in attempts to get it out.

When he looked back up, he did so in time to notice a Bulblin at the far side of the bridge shoot an arrow, a fire arrow. At first Link did not think it was bad, for the arrow shot far past him and landed on the other edge of the bridge. But, glancing over his shoulder, he realized what had happened. The scent he had caught was that of gasoline spread across the entire surface of the bridge, and the fire arrow was what it needed to become ignited.

"Oh no! We're trapped! Get out of here!" shouted Midna, gripping onto his fur. Link barked and dashed for the open side of the bridge, but quickly skidded to a stop.

The Bulblin had lit that side aflame so now the fire raced towards the young hero from either side. For the first time in a while, fear gripped him. He backed up to the wall of the bridge and froze as the fires continued to spread towards him.

"JUMP, YOU FOOL!" shouted out a voice. Snorting in surprise, Link looked up and spotted a person clad in black looking down at him from atop the bridge. Blue eyes met orange ones and the person quickly sank back out of view.

"Do what she said!" ordered Midna, clutching onto a patch of fur. Growling, Link jumped to the top of the wall and looked down. The minuscule amount of water down there hardly seemed enough to save him. But it was either that or being burned alive. Closing his eyes, Link jumped off the bridge and hoped he would make it out of this.

From above, Shadow cursed under her breath for making such a novice-like mistake. She just had to let her curiosity get the better of her and watch Link long enough for him to see her. Sighing, the woman sank back against the bridge and ran a hand down her face.

"Well, guess the cat's out of the bag," she murmured. Now that Link had seen her, she did not care for being so stealthy. She would help when needed whether he saw her or not. Cursing louder, she clutched at her head as a bolt of searing pain passed through it. Grumbling some more choice words, she raised her hand and teleported off the bridge.

Back below the bridge, Link coughed as he broke the surface of the water and swam for the edge. Legs shaking, he shook off the water he could. He sneezed. That water had been colder than he expected.

"Phew... That was a close one," sighed Midna. "We're lucky there was a puddle down below, huh?" Turning around on his back, Midna looked back up to the bridge and where the person clad in darkness had been standing. Her bright eyes narrowed skeptically. "Just who was that, though?" The imp tapped her chin before spinning back around. "So this is Lake Hylia." Grinning, she patted Link on his head, rather forcefully. "It sounds like the spirit's spring should be somewhere around here as well... Anyway, let's look around."

After fighting a bird-like creature of the Twilight Realm, Midna forced it into submission and had it carry Link up the river. Rather, had it carry up the would-be river; the place had only a trickle of water flowing down it. The odd pair reached the top and headed even farther up to reach the Zora village. With his thick fur, Link barely noted the drop in temperature, but he did notice when a snowflake fell on his nose.

Snorting it off, Link backed up a step to soak in the full view of his surroundings. The Zoras were a water race, as such, their home always had running water and large pools for them to live in. However, the Zora village before him was a snow-covered, frozen land. Jumping from his back, Midna floated in front of him as she looked around.

"Oh...Hey... What's going on here? I thought it was getting colder...but who would have thought that it all would be frozen?" she questioned, throwing up her arms for a moment. "This is the Zora village, right? Why don't I see any, then..." Grunting lightly, she moved back and took her usual seat. "Well...anyway, let's check things out. Let's find the Zoras..."

Barking, Link dashed through the snow, searching for some way to reach the very top of the area. There were a couple places in the snow that he almost lost his footing at, but he continued on through the snow. He reached the cliff-face and stopped, pondering where to go from there.

"Hey..." Midna tapped his head. "Look up." Grudgingly, he looked to where she was pointing. Atop the would-be waterfall stood the same woman from earlier. Her black cape danced about on the cold breeze. She stood and watched, a statue impervious to the elements.

"Time's ticking away, hero," mocked the woman as she stepped back out of sight. Her cold voice trickled down and made the snow around his paws feel warm. On his back, the imp mumbled something under her breath. Whatever it had been, it was not nice and he swore it had been directed to the woman clad in darkness.

"I think we can get up from here..." mumbled Midna, returning from her annoyed thoughts. "Let's go..." Link growled in affirmation and proceeded to jump up the frozen waterfall with Midna guiding. Claws digging into the ice, he pulled himself up to the final level.

Panting for a moment, he regained his breathing and looked around. His blue eyes narrowed. The woman from earlier was no where to be seen. But, he had a feeling she would show up later.

A noise of pleasant surprise escaped Midna. "A portal has opened here, too!" she grinned as Link walked into the cave. "We can finally warp. If you want to breathe the air of the world of light for a moment, let me know. I'll take you there." Giggling, she gave one of her forceful pats that only aggravated Link. With a roll of his eyes, Link walked around the cave for any signs of the Zoras, his claws clicking on the ice with each step.

"Whoa! Hey!" exclaimed Midna, pulling on Link's fur to make him stop. He made a mental note to be more gentle on Epona's reins when he could; it hurt. "Down! Look below the ice!" First, he looked down below the ice where his paws were. There was nothing out of the ordinary. He heard Midna sigh and she pointed to a point not far away from where he stood.

"Those... Those are the Zoras!" she told him as Link walked closer and strained his senses to get a better look. Scattered in groups about the cave, the Zoras were frozen under the thick ice. "Wow... This is really strange... What in the world happened?" The weight on Link's back lifted as Midna floated up and about. "Hey... What do you want to do? We can't just leave them like this..."

"Try thawing them out," came the cold voice from behind. Spinning around, Link growled at the woman. Since she was closer to them than the last two times, the young hero noted there were designs on her cloak similar to what Zelda had on hers back at the Castle. And now, he finally placed his finger on what was so unsettling about her voice: it sounded dead. Above him, Midna glared at the woman. A sneer curled her upper lip as she switched glances between Link to Midna. "You'll need to find something quite warm to unfreeze all this. Think hard, little hero," she smirked, looking back down at the blue-eyed beast. "Where have you been that has an abundance of very warm material?"

Link stopped growling and looked up at Midna. The imp looked down to the wolf and raised her eyebrow. There was one place they knew of that had such heat. "Well, guess there's no better time to see if the portal's working," shrugged Midna. Link nodded and moved under the portal as Midna landed on his back. Closing his eyes, he allowed her to transport him back to Death Mountain.

The young hero stumbled a moment as he rematerialized to gain his footing. It was a little jarring to go into the portal as a wolf and next come out as a man. Sweat beaded on his brow from the heat. Blinking, Link looked to his side and saw the giant piece of rock that fallen down from the volcano when they were last here. It was still radiating heat like crazy.

_This thing has been here for a while now, but it's still pretty hot,_ came Midna's voice as she formed from Link's shadow and studied it. _As big and as hot as it is, it just might be enough to melt the ice in Zora's Domain, don't you think?_ He nodded. Midna raised her arms to cast a spell, but then paused. _I don't like her. _Link blinked in surprise, unused to hearing worry and, was that concern in her voice? _That woman in black...something's odd. Her voice doesn't even sound normal! Not for a human, nor even one of the Twilight Realm, like me!_ She sighed. _I really think we should be careful following what she suggests._

Link gave a single cough, as if to say, "you're one to talk". Midna grunted and spun around to look at the young man. _You know what my agenda is! Getting the Fused Shadows! But can you say the same for her?_ Glaring softly, Link cast his eyes down. _I thought not. Now!_ Midna promptly spun around and giggled, returning to her usual demeanor. Without warning, Link felt himself being pulled through the portal back to Zora's Domain, the large heat source with them.

Landing on the ice on all four limbs, Link skittered off to the side before the giant rock came falling down. He felt his fur stand on end from the heat. Before it had been warm, now in this place it felt like a furnace. The rock split open the ice and began to melt it right away. Giggling, Midna floated back on over to Link's side.

"Who knew that something so dangerous would come in handy... All right... The Zoras are safe now, so let's go." As Link turned to head out the cave, Midna plopped down on his back then blinked. "Looks like _she_ left." Sparing a glance about the cave, Link noted what she was talking about: the woman in black was no longer there. The orange-haired imp grumbled some more choice words under her breath as Link made his way over to the mouth of the cave.

"Wait!" came a voice. Link's ears perked up and he stopped in his tracks. It was a woman's voice, but not the same bone-chilling one that belonged to the enigmatic woman. No. This voice was serene and peaceful. It almost sounded like bells. Spinning back around, he looked up and saw the spirit of a graceful female Zora watching him. "Please, you must allow me to thank you for revitalizing both my people and this spring, which is the water source for all the lands of Hyrule." The Zora dipped her head in thanks. "In life, I was the elder of this Zora village and the queen of my people. I was called Rutela."

"Not to be rude, but we didn't exactly do it for you guys..." yawned Midna.

Queen Rutela cast her eyes down. "The dark ones... They raided this village and, as a message to my people, executed me before them. Young man... You who takes the form of a proud beast... I have something to ask of you." Link took a few steps closer and patiently listened. "When the dark ones descended upon our village, I sent my young one, Ralis, to Hyrule Castle inform Princess Zelda of our fate. But...I fear danger followed him from this doomed place. I feel it. His presence grows fainter to me over time... But my time in this world has passed, and though I would give it gladly, I no longer have a life to risk in his rescue.

"Please... Would you save my dearest, Prince Ralis? If you do this thing, I will bestow upon you the protection of water. This power will grant you the ability to swim and respire in very deep water as if you were a Zora. Please..." The image of her spirit began to fade away. "Save my son..."

Midna blinked a couple times after Queen Ruleta disappeared from sight. "Hmm... So, if we help her, she'll grant you the power to swim in deep water like a Zora, huh?" Grinning, she bonked Link on his head. "So... What do you say, Hero? ...Oh!" She snapped her fingers as Link turned to leave the cave. "But now that I think about it, I don't suppose you should met the prince as a wolf, huh? Eee hee!"

:::

After collecting all of the Tears of Light (which sent Link over all of the Lanayru Province, not just Lake Hylia), the young hero headed off for Hyrule Castle once the blanket of Twilight had been lifted. While at the Lake, he heard from the locals that there was a temple at the depths of the great lake. And within its depths was the final Fused Shadow. To get the final piece, Link would have to acquire that power Queen Ruleta mentioned that would allow him to survive underwater. As such, he was now racing off with Epona back to the market to find Prince Ralis.

Morning turned to afternoon, afternoon slipped into dusk, and dusk faded to night. The silence of the night pressed in against him until he reached the streets of the market. The few people that were still up seemed none the wiser about the Twilight that had nearly swallowed their land. Torches flickered in the dark and Link slowly made his way down to the bar, Telma's Bar, where he had first seen Ilia and the young Zora.

Pulling off to the side, Link dismounted and patted Epona on her neck as she began to graze on what grass there was. A slight smile touched his lips as he headed down to the bar.

Or at least, he would have headed down if he could.

A hand came out from the darkness beside and wrenched him off the streets. Another hand covered his mouth, making him unable to yell out in protest. The capture had gone so swiftly and silently that not even Epona gave notice save for a light twitch in her ear. Grunting, Link tried to wrestle free and take hold of his sword to fight his captor, but the person had already grasped his hands behind his back so tight he could not move them.

"Easy there...hero boy," whispered a voice in his ear. His blue eyes went wide. That voice made his very blood turn to ice. "I just want to talk," continued the woman from the Twilight Realm.

_Fight her, Link!_ shouted Midna in his mind. For once he would have gladly listened to her advice, only he could not.

"I can hear you, Midna. Even you should listen to this..." Her grip on Link tightened for a moment. "Now, I'll let you go only if you _promise_ to be a good boy and not attack me, run away, or call for help. Deal?" The young hero grunted and tried to pull away, only to have the woman be more forceful in her grip. "_Deal_?"

With a reluctant sigh, Link nodded, much to the protest of Midna. True to her word, the woman clad in shadows released Link who rubbed his wrists before turning around. As soon as he did, a gasp escaped his lips. Since meeting Midna, he had gotten used to seeing bright orange eyes on her, but to see them on someone who resembled a human in looks was rather unsettling. Even this close to her, the shadows cast by her hood clung to her skin, hiding around half her face in darkness. A smirk lifted up one of the corners of her mouth as she eyed Link up and down.

_Who are you and what do you want?_ asked Midna since she knew the woman could hear her.

A cold laugh escaped the woman. "Yes, yes. I suppose it is only fair for you to know who I am since I know who you are, little Midna, and the so-called-hero, Link."

_Quit stalling_, growled Midna. In his mind, Link could feel the heated glare off the orange-haired imp.

"Ah, yes! Where are my manners?" Her smirk widening, the woman gave a mocking bow, the hilt of her sword glinting in the moonlight. Some of her black hair fell even lower. Link blinked. No, it was not black, he noted, but in fact a very dark shade of blue. "My name is Shadow," she answered, rising.

Midna blinked and ran the name over in her head. _I've never heard of you before._

"I doubt you have," she chuckled. Link shuddered and swore the temperature dropped with each word that came from her. "Now, are you going to keep questioning me or can I give you two my proposal?"

Once more, Midna mumbled some phrases under her breath before asking, _What do you want?_

"Allow me to travel with you. Allow me to help you when needed."

Link blinked in surprise. First Midna had, forcefully, helped him, now there was this Shadow asking to join him. What was really going on in the Twilight Realm?

Midna let out a huff. _What do you get from helping us?_

"Zant sent me to follow you."

In a flash, Link drew his sword and had it at Shadow's neck. Even Midna had readied a spell to cast upon the strange woman. Sighing, Shadow dropped her head for a second and shook it in disappointment. When she looked back up, she raised a hand and put it on the tip of Link's blade.

"Now, now. I thought we had an agreement?"

_You work for Zant!_ hissed Midna. _Give us one good reason why we should not kill you right now?_

"Because I have betrayed him." A smirk tugged at her mouth again. "Not so unlike yourself, Midna." Grunting in surprise, Midna stopped the spell she had ready and Link lowered his sword. "Zant is a tyrant and needs to be stopped. Allow me to aid you in your journeys, hero boy. All I ask is for a chance at revenge in the end."

The young hero narrowed his eyes skeptically at Shadow. She had helped them before, true, but why had she suddenly come out of the blue? Link opened his mouth to ask a question that was on his mind, only Midna beat him to it: _How can we trust you?_

A cold chuckle escaped Shadow. "You can't. But you two are decent fighters. Surely if I do even one thing that seems against your favor, you could stop me if you so wished." Grinning, she held out a hand to Link. "Well?"

She was right. Her aid could come in handy, especially if she fought against Zant with them. It was a risky proposal to take, but one worth the dangers, figured Link. Plus, if she had worked for Zant, there was a chance she knew something of San. That was the final thought that made him take Shadow's hand and shake it.

A smile, though somewhat twisted, touched her lips. "Good. Now let's go help that Zora Prince."

With a nod, Link placed his sword back and headed out onto the streets. Promptly, he headed down to Telma's Bar, Shadow trailing him. Inside, the two stopped only a few feet in as there was a light commotion.

"That is a Zora child! That is beyond my expertise! Hmmph!" grunted Doctor Borville, turning to leave.

From behind, Ilia pleaded out, "Doctor, wait! If something isn't done, this child will..." Her words fell silent for the Doctor had already left the bad. The young woman watched him leave and gave a heavy sigh. As she was moving to return to the injured Prince, her eyes fell upon the two newcomers. They passed over Shadow in a moment, and then to Link. The young hero smiled at her, but Ilia only raised her eyebrows slightly before turning back.

There was no sign that she recognized him. In silent frustration, Link clenched a fist and hung his head.

"Well, this isn't good. A human doctor won't do, huh..." started the owner of the bar. The woman placed a hand on Ilia's shoulder. "That old coot reminded me, though... I've heard of a shaman in Kakariko Village, in the Eldin lands, who's tended Gorons and Zoras.

Looking up to her, Ilia's eyes lit up. "Is that true? Perhaps if we take him there..."

"Inadvisable! Too dangerous!" voiced out one of the soldiers from the back. A small group of them walked up to the women. "But we can't turn a blind eye to a pretty girl in need, either. Yes, we'd be escort you! Am I right boys?" The older soldiers around him cheered.

"Well, isn't that nice," smiled Telma. "To reach Kakariko, we've got to cross two plains that are each infested by dangerous beasts." Turning around, she glanced at the hurt Zora. "But we'll be safe now!" When she turned back around, the soldiers were no longer there. As she listed off the dangers, the men had grown shaken and scared, and took the chance to hightail it out of there when she had turned.

Her smile vanished and was quickly replaced by a heated glare at the door where they had fled. "Cowards!" she shouted out. "Don't EVER show your faces here again!" Eyes falling from the door, she noted the two people who stood near it. As fast as it had appeared, the glare melted away. "Oh my! Looks like we've got two young swordsmen left!"

Leaving Ilia, Telma came up to Link and Shadow, placing a hand on either of their shoulders. "And not only that, but it looks like these brave young kids will escort us, so get ready to go, honey. Pronto!" she called back to Ilia. In that moment, Link glanced at Shadow. She had tightened up her mask around her face, and her eyes were now hidden by her bangs and hair, removing her unsettling feature from view. With a sigh, Link returned to watching Ilia as she got ready.

"You know that girl, don't you?" asked the bar owner quietly to Link. "It's a real shame... She can't even remember her own name right now. Bless her heart... She found this poor boy collapsed in the road, so she did all she could to save him." Telma gave Ilia a warm smile. "More courage in that girl than in all the soldiers of Hyrule, for sure!" Still smiling, she looked down to Link and Shadow. "You lend your strength to her, you hear me?"

Link looked from Telma to Ilia and watched her a moment longer. Whether she remembered him or not made no difference: his friend was in need and he would help as much as he could. To his side, Shadow took a small step back, for she was an outsider and merely gave a ghost of a nod. After being giving some quick instructions on where to wait, Link and Shadow headed off to the western side of the Castle Market. But not before Ilia spoke up to them.

"Th-Thank you so much for this. Um, if you don't mind me asking, what's your name?" asked the girl. Hiding his sorrow, Link answered for both himself and Shadow. "Shadow... Link?" It seemed as if for a second she might have remembered, but smile and next words destroyed that hope. "I will never in all my life forget your kindness, Link...and Shadow."

"Little lady, I think you'd best save your thanks until we're safe in Kakariko..." All there nodded at Telma's suggestion, and Shadow was quick to steer Link away. "This swordsman of ours has great eyes, honey. They're proud and wild...like a feral beast," praised Telma as the two left the bar ahead of them. "We need a beast right now, to keep the true ones at bay. If we make it to Kakariko safely, we'll just thank them then, okay?"

Outside, Shadow practically blending into the night.

_Why didn't you say anything in there?_ questioned Midna to Shadow.

The woman from the Twilight Realm scoffed. "I really don't think my voice would be the most..." she paused to find the right word, "_encouraging_ one to hear at the moment." It was true. Though her hood and mask helped to hide what she really was, her voice still made frost cling to Link's skin, and it even seemed to devourer any joy around them.

Shaking off the cold feeling, Link quickly asked if she had a horse.

Her laughter shot icicles through his being. "I will not be needing a horse. Don't you worry," she smirked. He was about to ask how she would keep up when Shadow added, "I said don't worry. I have my own way for keeping up in a situation like this."

They only had to wait a few minutes out by the wagon, which gave Link time to make sure Epona was ready, before Telma and Ilia made it over with the young Prince.

"You ready to roll, Link? Shadow?" The two nodded. "You've got to protect these young ones on the way to Kakariko!"

Without waiting for any more instruction, Shadow ran off. Was she going to run the entire way? Link and Telma stayed in one place for a moment, blinking in confusion after the strange woman, before realizing they too should be off. It did not take much for Epona and the wagon to overtake Shadow, and yet each time Link looked around for her, she was off to the side of the group. And each time, she appeared to be falling back behind as he looked away. He was never able to catch what she was doing to be able to keep up.

They made it to the Great Bridge of Hylia without much incidence other than a bumpy ride. But once they reached it, a foe was already waiting for them on the other side. King Bulbin, sporting two shields to protect him, charged for Link. The young hero barely had time to register what was happening before he too charged for the enemy; he would finish this off once and for all. While drawing his new bow, Link gasped lightly as he suddenly saw Shadow appear from a patch of darkness in front of the charging creature. Sword drawn, she jumped and sliced off his armor, landing with a roll behind the great boar mount. Surprised, King Bulbin veered slightly, and Link took his shot. Aim true, his arrow was the final nudge needed to send the enemy reeling off the bridge into the lake below.

When Link looked back up, Shadow was no longer in front of him. Sensing something, he looked over in time to see Shadow materialize from the darkness back beside him. He knew a smirk danced on her face as she tossed a key up and down before running back off ahead.

"Nicely done, honey!" praised Telma as the wagon continued on by now that the danger had passed. "Keep up the good work!"

Link had to shake his head a moment before he urged Epona back on, taking the lead. At least now he knew how Shadow managed to stay with them: she was teleporting.

Now, however, as they raced along the path, more enemies attempted to hinder their journey. The Bulbins rode up on boars and shot arrows down at the group from the cliffs above. Yelling out, Link took care of the ones that got close to the wagon. Looking up, he was about to draw his bow again when he saw Shadow had gone up to the cliffs around them and killed the Bulbins that rained fire arrows down at them.

While distracted, he did not notice the Bulbin that nearly knocked him off from the saddle. Gripping his head, Link looked up to see another coming in for an attack. Before he could even raise his blade to block, Shadow appeared on the back of the boar and made quick work of the enemies with her broadsword.

"Better be more careful there, hero boy," she smirked as the boar went by him. Grunting, he went to say something back to her, but she had already vanished away.

Ahead of them, he saw, a gate was quickly getting closer. In a brief moment of nothing to fight, he signaled for Shadow's attention above. Nodding, she quickly killed one more of the archers before appearing at the locked gate. As quickly as she could, Shadow unlocked the gate and pushed it open in time for Link and Telma to ride on through without needing to slow down.

From there on out, it was simple fighting through the Faron Province on their way to Kakariko. Some Kargaroks (flying beasts that were carrying bombs) joined in the fray, but Link was quick with his bow and dealt with them swiftly. Shadow, now, was the one to deal with the riders for she had temporarily stolen one of the boar mounts.

After the vigorous journey, the group made it safely into Kakariko Village. The wagon barely had any scrapes on it from the attacks. Racing in, Telma only stopped once she got in front of Renado's place. Dismounting, Link looked around but could not find Shadow anywhere. When he looked back, he saw Renado and Colin coming back out.

"He has passed through the worst of it. As long as he rests, he should recover in due time," Renado reassured them. "Do you know the fate of his mother?"

Grimly, Link looked down and gave a nod.

"Her welfare consumes him. He has been mumbling deliriously about her almost constantly..." The shaman was silent for a moment. "...I can see the knowledge grieves you. It must be an awful memory."

"I'll stay with him until he's better! No matter how long it takes!" piped in Colin.

Renado chuckled lightly, patting the head of the young boy. "Is that so? Thank you, Colin."

"Hey, Link, about Ilia... Is it true, what they say about her?"

Silent, Link could not bring himself to answer. Thankfully, Renado spoke up. "Yes, she has lost her memory, Colin, and regaining it will be no simple task. But it will be all right, child. If we give her some time, I am certain that Ilia will find her heart again." The shaman smiled down at Colin. "So, Colin, I'd like to ask you to stay in this village until then. It is our turn to show the courage that you have already displayed."

Grinning like he never did before, Colin gave a vigorous nod and headed back off into the building.

"Nice to see there's still hope here. And it's always good to see happy results repay your efforts..." sighed Telma in content, coming up beside him. "Those skills of yours... Any chance you're of the mind to put them to use for Hyrule? What hope there is in our kingdom is frail and dying...but there's still a group trying to do what it can. I'm a member of that group," she grinned down at Link. "Call me Telma. I may just stay here a bit longer. I'm still worried about Ilia, and...well." Glancing over her shoulder, she spotted Renado. "Never mind about the rest." She giggled lightly. "Link, I want to see you again at my bar, you hear me? Same goes for that Shadow, so tell her next you see her. The bar is actually a kind of safe house for my friends. There's a passageway that leads to the Castle from in there, as well. If you ever need something, stop by, I'll be waiting for you, honey!" With a wave, she turned and headed off to speak with Renado.

"Thanks to you, the child is saved," came a soft voice. Blinking, Link looked over and saw Ilia. "It want to thank you for being so kind to someone like me... Someone you don't even know." Smiling lightly and dipping her head in thanks, his friend ran back to the building where the Prince rested. Sighing, Link hung his head.

"Enjoy the praises of being a hero?" The sudden cold voice nearly made Link jump. What was it and people sneaking up to talk with him tonight? The mysterious woman nudged him lightly before walking off, indicating with her head that she wanted him to follow. Even with her layers of clothing, her touch made Link shiver from the coldness. "I didn't believe the rumors at first...but seeing you out there... You really are the Chosen Hero."

Her words stunned Link for a moment. Mocking and teasing was the only sort of "praise" he expected from her, but what she had just told him was completely sincere. Clearing his throat, and quickly catching up to her side, he passed on the information Telma had given him, though Midna protested in his mind.

Instead of a cold laugh or chuckle that he expected, Shadow grunted once Link finished. "Well...safe to say I never expected this sort of stuff to happen." She sighed, and only then did a wry chuckle escape her. "Guess that's the price I have to pay to seek revenge on Zant."

"This way..." came a haunting but graceful voice. Looking ahead, Link and Shadow saw the faint spirit of Queen Rutela. Holding out a hand, she beckoned the two to follow her. Through the village, the spirit led them to a graveyard of sorts. The tranquil waters in the place were undisturbed as Shadow used her dark magics to teleport both herself and Link to Queen Rutela in a blink of an eye.

"I am deeply grateful to you for aiding my son in this time of need," began Rutela as Link regained his senses from the sudden change in position. "You were right to bring him here. Kakariko Village is a sacred place for the Zora people. It is where we take our eternal rest. My husband in life, King Zora, also rests his spirit here. It is no coincidence my son found his salvation in this place. ...That which I have promised you is within this grave. During his lifetime, my husband created garments specifically for the chosen hero, garments that house the abilities of the Zora. Now, at last, I can join the king in slumber. And yet... My son... He still knows nothing of my death. If you see him again, please pass on this message... Tell him he must not grieve his mother's passing. Tell him she wanted him to be brave and live as the king of our people. And... Tell him his mother...loves him without end. Tell him..." The spirit of Queen Rutela faded away before her final words were spoken, but the two understood the message.

Grunting, Shadow moved around to slide the gravestone to the side. Link protested a moment, but stopped when the woman cloaked in darkness held out the armor the late Queen had mentioned. Brow furrowing, Link asked Shadow what she would do to survive under the water since there was only one suit of armor. Once again, she replied with a smirk and said, "Don't worry."

_Well, it's a good thing you found all of your friends and picked up that nifty Zora armor..._came Midna, using Link's shadow to make herself visible to the two. _ But aren't you forgetting something kind of important? That last Fused Shadow... Remember what Faron the light spirit said... He said you would need the Fused Shadows to defeat the dark overlord Zant and save the world... So even if you go back now with all of the people you saved... The whole tragedy would just repeat itself... So let's go get it! We need to go to the temple on the lake bed of Lake Hylia._

They did not need to be told twice. Quickly, Link and Shadow raced back to the Lanayru Province after Shadow grudgingly explained that she could not teleport two people such a vast distance without the aid of one of the large portals that Midna used. This produced a snicker from the imp at Shadow's lack of prowess.

It was around noon when the two of them reached Lake Hylia once more. Allowing Epona to take a break, Link continued down to the edge of the lake on foot while Shadow...well, continued on like she had been only without having to teleport every few seconds. Reaching the clear waters of the lake, Shadow had to hold back a snicker when Link donned the new blue armor.

"Looking sharp, hero boy," she smirked. With a sigh, Link dove into the lake. At first he held his breath for as long as he could, and then when he could hold it no more, discovered the wonders of the blue armor. He coughed a few times, thinking he would drown, but he did not. He could breath like he were breathing in air. "Y'know, might have been safer to try that _closer_ to the surface for the first time."

Turning around, Link scowled at Shadow. She had no change of gear, and yet she breathed in the water like he did. Looking closer, he could see the faintest shimmer of magic surrounding her body. It must have been that magic that allowed her to breath.

"May want to start swimming, hero boy," she teased before diving deeper. He sighed before swimming to the depths of the lake. At least she was back to being the taunting and mocking person he figured she would be. Having her being sincere and kind like for that moment back in Kakariko felt odd.

Back on track, Link opened the entrance to the Lakebed Temple (after having to buy some new waterproof bombs that made quite a bang). After giving her mocking bow to the young hero, Link and Shadow entered the dungeon to face the mysteries and perils that awaited them in the depths.

:::

Panting hard, Link sheathed his weapon. Fighting a giant monster possessed by a Fused Shadow was quite tiresome underwater. Giggling, Midna came from the young hero's shadow and took hold of the final piece they needed that was slowly sinking down.

_There it is! The last Fused Shadow... I'll just take that, thanks! _Storing it with the other pieces, she turned around and gave her near-sinister grin to Link._ Now, don't resent me for all I've put you through. I NEED this thing! Besides, we have to do something about Zant, the one who thinks he is the king of shadows... His power is a false __one..._ she growled. _I'll prove it using these! So... I've done everything I needed to. I'm sorry for dragging you all over the place with me... So... Shall we go?_

With a nod, Link then found himself being transported from beneath the depths of the lake into the fresh air of the cave where Lanayru resided. Since he had gotten used to the sensation by now, Link quickly opened his eyes and looked around. Taking form beside him, and this time managing not to use his shadow, Midna chuckled.

"Oops. Looks like I forgot about Shadow." Link sighed at Midna's actions. "Hey! She should be able to get out of there fine on her own. And if not...well, then she would hardly stand a chance against Zant."Despite Midna's words, Link still felt like it was a bad move on her part. Suddenly, she gasped after she turned around. Grunting, Link spun around and drew his sword. "Zant!"

The lord of the Twilight Realm loomed over the companions. "Did you honestly mean to take an ancient and withered power like this and turn it against me? You are a foolish traitor, Midna. Why do you defy your king?"

"My KING? You, who do nothing but abuse the magic of your tribe? You must be joking!" she spat at him. Grunting, Link drew his sword and charged for Zant. With a lazy wave of the man's arm, Link was sent to his knees. Enraged, Midna tried to cast her own spell against Zant, but, by just looking at her, the imp was frozen in midair.

"How dare you? Are you implying that my power is...our old magic?" he sneered. "Now THAT is a joke! This power is granted to me by my god! It is the magic of the King of Twilight, and the Keeper of Darkness, and you WILL respect it! My Midna... Did you forget? That beast is one of the light dwellers who oppressed our people." A smirk ringing in his voice, Zan't gaze fell back to Link, and he forced Midna to look at him.

"No matter how much you may desire otherwise, you will never be more than a shadow in their world. You cannot consort with their kind! But if we can make their world ours, Midna...light and darkness will meet at last. Our tribe will take back their realm...and sweet darkness will blot out this harsh light! And that, Midna, is why..." Walking closer, he raised the bottom half of his mask and whispered, "I need you. Not just for me, but for all of our people... Lend me your power." Glaring, Midna tried all she could to escape, but it was futile. "So be it... I will return you to the light world you covet!"

Raising his hand, the overlord of the Twilight Realm did just what he said. A light as bright as the sun was directed at Midna. As soon as it touched her, she felt her skin burn and she screamed louder than she ever had before. Since she was of the Twilight, the light destroyed her strength. Crying out, Link tried to help Midna, but Zant noticed and sent something that resembled a black orb to the young hero.

It passed through his armor as though it was not there. Link felt it pierce his skull and enter his body. The darkness from it seeped through his being, a poison that was now flowing through his body. Much like Midna, he too screamed out in pain as he felt his body once more changing into the beast. The first time when it had occurred, it hurt more than anything he could dream of. Now, though, as he was once more forced to change against his will, the pain seared through his body ten times worse.

Grunting, Link looked up to see Midna fall to the ground, her entire body bleached from the light. A cold, haunting laugh escaped Zant. Then, suddenly, his laughter was cut off as Lanayru appeared behind him. Enraged, the Spirit of Light did what he could: removed Zant from his spring and sent Link and Midna to the field just north of Hyrule Market.

_Link, hero chosen by the goddesses..._came the soothing voice of the spirit in Link's mind as he struggled to stand in the field. _Go to the princess locked away in the castle. That princess holds the key that can unlock you from your shadow form..._

Letting forth a howl, Link headed as fast as his paws would take him towards the castle. "H-Hurry...to where...Princess Zelda...waits..." rasped Midna from his back. Urged on by her current state, Link pushed himself to go even faster.

:::

Zant tortured a creature of the Twilight Realm to satisfy his anger. The creature screamed and screamed until it could scream no more. Though he had made the death slow and painful, it did not quell his fury.

"This is NOT what I had in mind when I asked you to follow him and help him if needed..." he said slowly, venting out his anger in each word.

Shadow stood tall, watching the overlord. With his back to her, Shadow allowed a glare to bore into his back. "Things change. I was merely making sure I stayed ahead of what was going on."

As he spun around to face the woman, she made sure her glare was gone. "But now he _knows_ you!"

"And _trusts_ me...somewhat." Zant advanced on Shadow, gripping her by the cloak. Holding her ground, she did not shy away or blink.

"And what good will that bring us?"

"Allow me to return to aiding him."

"What?" he hissed. With the way he held back his anger at her, Shadow knew he was truly furious. But not even Zant could contain it all for he raised a hand as if to strike Shadow. "If you were not the―"

"But I _am_," finished Shadow, a smirk playing in her orange eyes. "You would not dare harm me in any way." Grunting in anger, Zant lowered his hand and released his tight grip on the woman. Grumbling under his breath, the overlord walked away. "The Chosen Hero is much more apt and able than you first assumed. New measures must be taken," explained Shadow, taking a few steps forward. "I do believe even your _god_ now is interested in him. You _know_ what will happen next..."

Zant looked over his shoulder to watch the woman as she continued, "They will go after the _Mirror_ to get to you. Permit me to go back. I shall help Link...though I assure you, he could do it on his own." A grin parted Shadow's lips at the confused look Zant gave her from behind his mask. "I shall be a dagger above his head...awaiting for an opportune moment. But, should none arise, then at least he will be here, on _your_ grounds where _your _power is strongest." She tilted her head as she tried to hold back her plotting grin.

The overlord thought it over...and thought it over some more. It felt as though an eternity passed before he gave a slight tilt of his head. "Very well. You shall get this one last chance. Fail...and it won't matter what you are...you _will_ face my wrath."

Giving a curt nod, Shadow raised her hand and quickly left the Land of Twilight to look for Link.

:::

His strength still weak, Link fumbled his way through the streets to Telma's Bar. He remembered her saying there was a way to get into the Castle from there.

"I wouldn't go in there just yet, hero boy," came the familiar voice of Shadow. Stopping, Link looked up and growled at the woman. She raised her hands to show she had no tricks. "Hey, now. What are you so mad at me for? Because I couldn't help you since Midna left me back under Lake Hylia? Besides, I had to stay away so Zant would not grow suspicious. But, Link... I'm here now...all right? I'm here to help." His growl faded away as soon as Shadow had said his name. He could not put a finger on it, but something in the way she had said it reminded him of someone.

Walking forward slowly, Shadow held out a hand to him. For a long time, his blue eyes were locked with her orange ones. Barking lightly, Link walked the few steps needed and tapped his snout to her hand to seal the deal.

"Good. Now, head up these crates and you'll find the back way into the Castle. I'd use my magic to get you and Midna in, but..." she began once she caught the look in Link's eyes. "She is in much to weak of state right now to be moved like that." On his back, Midna let out a soft groan. "I'll meet you inside." Shadow raised her hand. "Good luck...Link." Then, in a swirl of darkness, she was gone.

Giving a determined growl, Link followed what Shadow had said to get into Telma's Bar. After a few jumps (being more careful than normal because of Midna), and traversing through the sewers, Link found him back outside and on the top of the Castle.

"Well done, hero boy!" praised Shadow, with a hint of teasing in her frozen voice. It seemed like she could never be kind for more than a few moments. "Not much farther to go now..." Together, they headed back to the window where Link had escaped from when he was first here. While he jumped inside, Shadow easily transported herself. "Phew...the weather sure was bad out there," she commented, giving her cloak a little shake. "Quickly now, to Zelda." Shadow did not even have to say it, for Link was already climbing the remaining stairs to where the Princess waited.

Shadow opened the door and allowed Link in first. Returning it to the way it was, Shadow entered in after him.

"You..." breathed Zelda, eying the dark woman. "Who are you?"

"Er...you can call me Shadow...Princess," fumbled the woman, giving a quick bow.

Zelda seemed to weigh the woman with her gaze. Shadow, one who was able to stand up against Zant without batting an eyelash, shifted her weight under the surveillance of the Princess. "You are...helping Link and Midna?"

"That I am."

It was only then Zelda gave a light nod and released her gaze from Shadow. "Very well..."

"Please... Please tell me..." came the weak voice of Midna. All attention was brought to her. "How do we break...the curse on this one? This...is the one... You need him...to save your world! That's why... Princess... Please... You must help Link..."

Zelda's sad eyes fell onto the blue-eyed beast. "What binds him is a different magic than what transformed him when he first passed the curtain of twilight." Her words brought a light scoff and a mumbled comment from Shadow, but Zelda continued, ignoring it. "It is an evil power. Our world is one of balance... Just as there is light to drive away darkness, so, too, is there benevolence to banish evil. Head for the sacred grove that lies deep within the lands guarded by the spirit Faron. There you will find the blade of evil's bane that was crafted by the wisdom of the ancient sages...the Master Sword. The Master Sword is a sacred blade that evil can never touch. Evil cloaks you like a dark veil...and that blade is the only thing that can cleave it. Link... Hero sent by the goddesses... Like you, I have been granted special powers by the goddesses..."

Raising her right hand, Zelda showed them the symbol of the Triforce on her hand. Link perked his ears up, as though seeing that made him focus even more of his attention. Behind, Shadow silently winced as the symbol glowed before Zelda lowered her hand.

"Fine..." breathed out Midna. "Link... You can... You can get to the woods...with Shadow's help, right?" Link barked affirmative to Midna's question. Smiling, she then weakly looked back to the Princess. "Princess... I have one last request... Can you tell him...where to find the Mirror of Twilight?"

"Midna... I believe I understand now just who and what you are... Despite your mortal injuries, you act in our stead... These dark times are the result of our deeds, yet it is you who have reaped the penalty. Accept this now, Midna. I pass it to you..." Giving a sad smile, Zelda clasped her hands together.

Shadow gasped as Midna called out, "No! Link! STOP HER!" but it was too late. Zelda had given Midna her power, reviving the imp in the process. All of their mouths were ajar, for now Zelda was gone.

"We have to move!" grunted Shadow. Midna cried out in protest to Zelda's actions as Shadow came up, grabbed hold of the two, and transported them out of there. It was just in time, too, for they would have been surrounded had they stayed a moment longer.

Coughing, Shadow fell to her knees on the green grass. Even transporting them that far sapped her strength.

"Shadow... Thank you," mumbled Midna, hanging her head a moment. Despite the mistrust at the beginning, Shadow had now gained it and proved to be a valuable person to have with them.

A wry chuckled escaped her as she stood. "Don't mention it." Looking back, the three of them watched the Castle become imprisoned in a crystal of Twilight. Both the women cursed under their breaths while Link growled.

"We go back, Link! Back to Faron Woods!" ordered Midna, drawing the two others back from their frustration. Midna's gaze softened for a second. "Zelda... I've taken all that you had to give...though I did not want it."

:::

With Midna's power restored (she could now stay out in her normal form in the Land of Light), the group headed back into the depths of Faron Woods. They passed the Springs and neared the old tree where Link had freed Talo and then gotten the first Fused Shadow. All that seemed like a distant memory now. His mind wandered to something else, and he remembered what he wanted to ask Shadow next chance he got.

After rescuing a monkey, the creature told Link of an old wooden area on the other side of the cliff. To make the journey faster, for speed was of the essence now, Shadow transported them to where the monkey had mentioned. Doing this, however, caused Shadow to fall as soon as their feet touched the grass again.

"Shadow!" exclaimed Midna as Link barked out in concern.

"Won't...be able to teleport again...for a while," she grunted, pushing herself up. "Definitely not all of us...and not even just myself." Shadow wobbled on her feet for a moment, bringing a hand to her head. First from the Castle and now here. Transporting more than one person really taxed her strength. "What are we waiting for? Let's get going!"

The group bested the maze of the woods (with some help of chasing after a Skull Kid and then having to fight him), and soon found themselves upon the Sacred Grove. Warm light shone down through the canopy. A light breeze swayed the leaves and tickled their skin. The Grove gave them a feeling of ease and tranquility they had not felt for some time now, especially after what had just happened in the Castle. They passed the test of the Guardians of the Sacred Grove, and were allowed entry into the final place.

Ruins of once great walls were crumbled about them. Vines and other plants had begun to grow over, making it hard to believe this was once a great place. As they slowly walked in, the remnants of an old hymn could be heard from the wind, as though the voices were traveling through time itself. At the far end rested a pedestal, and atop the pedestal was a sword. While the rest of this part of the Grove was covered in shadow from the trees, a single break in the leaves allowed light to trickle down and caress the old blade, sending it aglow.

Mesmerized by it, Link walked forward, Midna staying back and Shadow slowly trailing behind. It called out to him, drawing him forth. His footsteps could now be heard as he stepped from the grass to what stone lay untouched near the sword. All he had to do was reach out for the light from the ancient blade to spread to him. The light grew so bright, Midna and Shadow had to look away.

As the light faded and the two women looked back up, both of them gasped lightly at the sight before them. Link stood tall, taller than he had ever before, the curse from Zant gone. Master Sword in hand, he gave it a few good test swings before holding it high above his head. The blade of heroes glinted in the light.

"The sword accepted you as its master..." whispered Midna as Link came down to them.

"Not bad, hero boy," smirked Shadow. She cast her head down, but still managed to eye Link. Something was tugging at her lips. It was not a smirk, nor a twisted grin. It was a smile. An embarrassed smile, but it was a true smile nonetheless. "I...guess I shouldn't be calling you that any more...Chosen Hero." Link chuckled and rubbed the back of his head bashfully. Grinning, Midna rolled her eyes and went to go pick up something. In her hands was the same orb that Zant had used to turn Link into a wolf.

"This thing is the embodiment of the evil magic that Zant cast on you." She tossed it up once, coming back over to the other two. "It's definitely different from our tribe's shadow magic..." Eying it, Link started to reach out for it. Quickly, Midna pulled it back before he could. "Careful... If you touch it, you'll turn back into a beast! This thing is too dangerous... It's probably for the best if we just leave it here, huh?" Everyone studied it a moment. "But on the other hand...if we kept it, you'd be able to transform into a beast anytime you wanted..."

"I vote we keep it then," murmured Shadow.

Link nodded, and only then did Midna stash it away. "Yes, since Zant was kind enough to give this to us, we should be thankful and use it all we can! If you need it, just call me. I want to keep a low profile, so I'll hide in your shadow when you're human, but I can change you whenever. You can be a wolf anytime you like! Also, thanks to this thing, you can warp whenever you want by switching into wolf form... Hey, but listen, Link, Shadow... I've got a little favor to ask...Would you mind coming with me to find something called the Mirror of Twilight? It's hidden somewhere in Hyrule..." Link raised an eyebrow in question. He glanced to Shadow who nodded. "Yes, the Mirror of Twilight... Our last potential link to Zant!"

It was settled. To now get to Zant, they knew what had to be done. Though how to get that done was something of another matter... Soaking in the place one last time, the group exited the ruins where the Master Sword had rested. Being last to leave, Link paused and took one long last look at the place. Here was where heroes had come before him. Here was where he realized his fate. Nodding, he turned and headed to catch back up to Shadow and Midna.

After all he had already gone through, only now did Link fully accept what had been asked of him: he accepted his fate as a Hero.


	6. The Mirror of Twilight

VI

_The Mirror of Twilight_

Bottom of the cloak in her hand, San studied the designs that were embroidered on it. The dark, almost earthy colored, designs resembled the ones that glowed on the wall. Her sombre expression glanced up for a moment, watching the pulsating glow that traveled along the walls. Once more, she wondered how much time had passed while she had been here.

Since wearing the cloak, San no longer felt what few memories she still had slipping away. They were safe.

"Link..." she murmured, holding her head in her hands. Still, that one thought held her together. She did not know who this Link was, all she knew was that he was someone important or dear to her. For why else would she remember him?

Then there was Zant.

Flashes of him taking her to this place invaded her thoughts. Someone had tried to keep her from going...had it been this Link? No... She could not put an image of who it was in her mind. Had it been Link, she would have remembered that now. Everything else was gone. The overlord had mentioned she could remember, once she saw or heard things that jarred her memory. That is what he said, at least. Whether he was telling the truth or not, she did not know, especially as long as she was trapped in this place.

"Quiet..." she moaned, clutching at her head. The voice in her mind grew louder for a moment. In this darkness, it was her one companion. The one constant presence in her new life. But the voice, she wished it would go silent for at least a moment to give her rest. As much as she willed it, the voice remained. It tried to ever pull her towards the darkness that surrounded her in her mind. "I said be QUIET!" she shouted out, her voice echoing.

"Temper, temper," came the dark voice of the one man here she knew. Gasping lightly, San looked up to see Zant walk in from the shadows.

"What do you want...?" she asked, pushing herself away from the man who slowly advanced towards her.

"I wish to show you something. A few questions you have may be answered."

It was that that caught her attention. "Which questions?"

"Come, and you shall find out."

San continued to sit, merely staring up at Zant, for a while longer. Silence pressed in on her ears, but in her mind, the voice continued to whisper to her. Reluctantly, she rose, her black cloak swishing against the floor. As she did, her balance wobbled a moment. It had been a while since she last stood, and while here, she had not been given much to eat. Zant made a grunt in approval as San slowly walked towards him.

Reaching out, he took a fierce hold of her arm. It took all of San's willpower not to pull away, for it reminded her of when he first kidnapped her from her home. Then, San felt the ground slip out from under her feet. She cried out in surprise, but as soon as it happened, ground was once more there. She panted a moment, unused to such a lurching sensation. Slowly, she looked up. They were now in some sort of hallway, and Zant quickly pulled her down it.

They rounded a corner, and San looked over in time to see someone else coming down from the other end. It was a woman clad in darkness. She wore a cloak, similar to the one San had donned, and kept the hood up to hide her face. Zant pulled San forward as the other woman walked a steady pace towards them. At the mid-point in the hall, they all stopped. San stared at the odd woman. She tilted her head to the side, as did the woman. Any movement San did, the woman mimicked perfectly.

"Can you feel it?" asked Zant, drawing San from her curiosity.

"Huh? Feel what?"

The overlord leaned down closer to her. "The _power_ within you... The _darkness_ in your being..."

San clutched at her head. Now the woman across from her did not follow her movements. Was the voice in her head the darkness Zant was referring to? It made some sense to her...the voice always beckoned her towards the waves of shadows in her mind, after all. Cautiously, she tested the darkness within her head, to see if it was what he was talking about, and quickly pulled away as much as she could. But it was too late, the darkness advanced in on her even more.

A cold chuckle escaped Zant. "Yes...yes you can. Embrace that power!"

"No...!" barked out San, still focusing on keeping the darkness at bay.

"You must... For it is a part of you..." Zant gripped her shoulders tightly, the pain from his hands barely registering in her mind. "_You_ are the key," he breathed. Crying out in protest, San shook her head vigorously. "_You_ hold the power we need... That my lord needs... That _Shadow_ here needs...!" Grinning maliciously, Zant forced her to look back up to the woman clad in darkness.

For as long as possible, San kept her eyes shut. But, between Zant and the voice in her head, she could not keep her gaze down for much more. Grunting, her eyes felt like they were wrenched open. On what she could see of the woman's face, this Shadow, a smirk spread across her lips. Against her will, San felt a similar smirk begging to escape on her own face.

"Stop it!" she shouted out, clutching at her head. Shadow yelled out the same thing. At least, that was what San believed, for surely her voice was not so cold it made her blood turn to ice. A bone-chilling laughter reached her ears as Shadow looked up enough for the darkness on her face to recede ever so slightly. As soon as she did, as soon as San saw Shadow's eyes, she let out a cry of surprise. "It can't be...!"

Her orange eyes pierced through San, but as unsettling as that was, it had not been what made San shocked. There had been something else about her eyes...something that had shaken her to the core. The smirk spread across Shadow's face as she lunged for San, the darkness completely taking hold of her. Before the shadows completely consumed her, those orange eyes were forever burned into her consciousness. Those orange eyes that were a mockery of her own...

Shadow clutched at her head as the pain seared straight through her. Never before had such torment risen. And it had come so unexpectedly that she nearly fell to her knees. What saved her had been the railing by the steps on the way down to Telma's Bar. Knees shaking, the woman clad in darkness panted heavily as the sharp pain faded away.

_You all right?_ asked Midna from her haven in Link's shadow. Blinking, Shadow looked up and saw the young Hero had a hand outstretched to offer assistance. She was mildly surprise at the imp's inquiry, not expecting at all for her to care. Shaking her head to dismiss the matter, Shadow rose back up and walked past Link without saying a word.

Pursing his lips together, the young Hero studied the mysterious woman from the Twilight for a moment longer. There was definitely more to her than met the eye. A soft sigh escaped him as he quickly moved to catch back up to her as she entered into the bar. The warm glow from the fire kissed their skin, but on Shadow, it looked like it did not touch her, so cloaked in darkness was she.

"Oh my... If it isn't Link and Shadow!" cheered out the owner of the bar. Smiling warmly, Telma came up and brought them both into an embrace. The two of them grunted, surprised that the woman was able to get both of them in a single hug. "You made it! How've you been, honey?" Pulling away, she clapped her hands together. "Mercy, but you have good timing. I was just talking about you two! Hey, everyone! Introduce yourselves! This handsome young man is the infamous Link! And his friend, Shadow!"

Near the back of the bar, huddled around a table, sat three people. Battle ready, they glanced up at the newcomers as Telma led the two over. Shadow tried her best to linger back, but the bar owner kept her grip firm and would not allow the woman from the Twilight to shy away. Glancing over, Link nudged Shadow lightly to show that she was not alone.

"You remember what I told you before, honey?" asked Telma. Link gave a firm nod. "These are those friends I mentioned, the ones who are trying to help deal with all the troubles in Hyrule. Actually, there's one more of us, but there's been a disturbing turn of events in the western desert, so he's gone to check it out. He's an older man named Auru. If you happen to meet him, definitely take the time to talk with him, Okay, honey? Well, you've come all the way here, honey, so why don't you relax a bit. Why don't you be sociable and talk to these folks? They're a jolly bunch!" Giving another smile, Telma parted and went back to managing her bar.

Breathing deeply, Link looked back to the three at the table, who had all gone back to their little group. One, however, had studied the two for a moment longer before returning to what previously held his attention. The young hero studied the one who had been looking at him and slowly walked up to the group. Behind him, he heard Shadow let out a cold sigh as she shifted her cloak. The woman from the Twilight tapped her foot against the floorboards a couple times, resulting in Link letting out a sigh of his own.

Reaching the group of people, two of them grunted in greeting while the one man slowly looked back up to gaze at the hero. Silence hung between them for a time, until, at last, the man spoke.

"It has been a long time..." murmured the man. Leaning back, he lowered the hood that had hidden his face in shadows. A light gasp escaped Link as he realized the face of the man from his village, Rusl. "Link!" greeted the master swordsman brightly. "My wife, Uli, sent word to me. I have seen the children in Kakariko Village! And, of course, I have also heard of your adventures! I must thank you for your help with Colin, Link. I barely recognized him... In any case, I am troubled by my own inaction. I wanted to help the cause. As did Derak..." His look became soft for a moment when he saw how Link's expression changed. "So you do know what happened to her... Derak's reluctantly remaining at home should she return, but you and I gotta keep an eye out for her, deal?" Link gave a firm nod and Rusl smiled with pride and gave a nod of his own. The swordsman then waved a hand to the other two people at the desk. "These friends here...I have had a connection with them for a long while. Like the others, I am gathering information now. I will let you know if I hear anything."

Hearing the swish of a cloak behind Link, the young hero looked over his shoulder in time to see Shadow heading to the door of the bar. Groaning lightly, Link gave a quick wave in farewell to Rusl before catching up to the strange woman.

"Finished socializing and ready to actually get something done?" asked Shadow, stretching her arms. Frowning in annoyance, Link gave her an unamused glance. One moment she was all kind and supportive, the next she was back to being sarcastic and seemed almost more like any enemy. There were moments he wondered about her true intentions, but as of yet, she had not betrayed him. There was no reason to not trust her...and so he and Midna had come to accept her.

Orange eyes pierced at him, seeming to delve into his very being. Glancing away before he became too unsettled by the eyes that mocked those of a Hylian's, Link gave a nod. Responding to his answer, Midna came forth from his shadow and studied the two.

_So you wish to warp to Lake Hylia?_ asked the imp, floating in the air before them. The two fighters nodded. Midna's large eyes fell onto Shadow for a moment, a light smirk tugging at her lips. _I suppose I can warp you as well with Link. Since you can't seem to handle too much, you might get weak and die if something should happen shortly after you teleport._ A glare from Shadow made Midna give one of her giggles before taking the power from what Zant had left them to create a portal and send them all to Lake Hylia.

:::

Dawn was beginning to break over the horizon as Link and Shadow stared up a tall tower. To the west, they saw the desert Telma had mentioned. Shadow's gaze was first to return to the tower.

"He's up there. Auru, I think she said his name was," muttered Shadow, placing a hand on her hip. Blinking, Link looked to her and raised an eyebrow. They were motionless for a moment before Shadow looked over at him and gave him a questioning look. "What? I have good eyesight, okay?" Shaking his head with an amused smile appearing, Link started to climb the ladder that led to the top of the tower. Sighing, Shadow was quick to follow him up.

Wind tore at them when they reached the top. Link had to quickly grab onto his hat before it was blown away, and Shadow gripped onto her hood to make sure her face and features stayed hidden from Auru. Her cloak, which only had a fraction of it held down by her sword, danced violently on the currents of air. Link heard her grunt in frustration as she tried, in vain, to keep it tamed. In their minds, Midna snickered as she fumbled over the fabric.

Turning around, the man who had been waiting atop the tower studied the new arrivals. "I thought it was about time for you to arrive... Master Link, is it? And Shadow?" The two of them nodded, Shadow finally keeping her cloak from going everywhere. "Please forgive my rudeness in the bar the other day. You do know Telma, don't you? I am Auru. I am part of the group that Telma kindly allows to meet at her bar. I have heard all about your deeds from her. Now... You being courageous youths... You have likely heard of the strange events in the desert and come to investigate, no? Or am I mistaken?"

Auru waited for a response, but all Link did was tilt his head in question. Auru glanced to Shadow for a moment, who remained silent, not wanting the man to hear her death-like voice.

"The Gerudo Desert once held a prison built to hold the worst criminals this land has ever known..." continued Auru. "The criminals who were sentenced to death were sent directly to the underworld by a cursed mirror that was kept in the prison..." That made Link catch his breath lightly. "Now that prison is condemned, and even the road leading to the desert is impassable." Turning around, Auru pointed to the vast desert that lay on the edge of the Lanayru Province. "This desert at world's end... It still holds the cursed mirror and the malice of the doomed inmates... These old bones know that the evil currently plaguing Hyrule is related to this wicked place. So I have come to learn the truth..."

The only noise for a moment was their clothing flapping on the breeze as they studied the sands to the west. "Master Link, Shadow, I must ask... What will you do now?" asked the man as he turned back around to face them. "Don't tell me you plan to enter the desert and confirm my suspicions with your own eyes?"

Despite the tone in Auru's voice, the two of them gave firm nods without hesitation. Link quickly added that it was necessary for them to travel there.

"Ah, is that so..." murmured Auru. "Then let good old Auru help you out... You see Lake Hylia below us?" He pointed down towards the crystal-clear lake and the cannon that was at its edge. "A man named Fyer runs an amusement ride of sorts there. Give him this." Reaching into his vest, Auru drew out a folded letter. "See, long ago, I saved this man Fyer's life, and now he cannot refuse me if I ask a favor. If you leave the rest up to Fyer, all should go well."

Nodding, Link firmly took the letter in his free hand, holding onto it tightly to make sure it was not captured by the persistent winds. He muttered a quick thanks before heading back down the ladder, which Shadow had already begun climbing down. Jumping the few remaining feet, the woman from the Twilight Realm took a moment to fix her cloak. She continued to grumble under her breath while Link could not help but grin in amusement. He then stopped, though.

He remembered what he had wanted to ask her.

"San?" re-asked Shadow. She then muttered the name again, as if to analyze it. Most times, when Shadow said something, all was cold. Saying San's name, however, seemed warmer than other words or phrases from her. Silence then hung between them for so long that Link began to believe that she had to know _some_thing. "Nope. Don't know anyone of that name in the Twilight Realm."

A groan escaped Link and he wanted to run a hand down his face. Sighing it off, he asked again, this time giving a physical description of his missing friend. Surely she must have heard at least a rumor of San... He could only hope.

Barking out a cold laugh, Shadow shook her head. "Green eyes? Then I have most definitely not seen her. The only one I have seen that did not have orange eyes in the Land of Twilight was Zelda. Last time I checked, she had blue eyes, and was not this friend of yours."

Link's hopes plummeted. Even though Shadow had said she had worked for Zant, that did not necessarily mean she knew of San. Glancing down, he did not have the strength to move anywhere at the moment. San was still out there, and now the only person who could know anything about it was Zant, and he was not going to be helping Link any time soon.

"She's important to you...isn't she?" asked Shadow, moving into his view. Her hood, though still up, was back far enough that he saw her features in a new light. Darkness still clung to them, but now her eyes stood out more than before. There was something in them that had not been there before. Kindness? Link blinked a moment as she continued to watch him. It could not be so. Grunting, he looked away and gave an embarrassed nod. "Then you'll find her."

Looking back, Link stared at Shadow as she began to head towards where Auru had pointed. Once more, he was puzzled at how quickly her mood could change. Black cloak swaying in the morning breeze, she looked back over her shoulder at him. Whatever look at had been in her strange eyes a second ago was no longer there.

"Hey, you coming or what?" she asked, waving a hand for him to get moving too. Another sigh escaped Link before he caught up to her. It was high time they got to the desert.

:::

Shadow groaned as she dusted off the sand from her cloak. "What kind of a way to travel is _that_?" Grumbling, she gazed to the east to where Lake Hylia lay over the horizon. "Remind me to never go on that thing again," she groaned.

Link chuckled lightly as he ran a hand through his hair to get out the sand that clung to him. Being shot out of a cannon was certainly not a normal way to travel. But, at the very least, it had gotten them to where they needed to go. Placing his hat back on, Link pulled his feet free from the golden sands and began to head farther west, Shadow following suit.

"Wait, Link, Shadow_,_" came Midna as she materialized from Link's shadow. Hovering between them, the imp kept her gaze cast down. "Before we go on, there's something I want you to hear. ...Do you remember what the spirit said about the Fused Shadows?" Link gave a nod. "What do you think happened to the magic wielders who tried to rule the Sacred Realm?"

Link shrugged while Midna waited for a response from Shadow. "Dunno. Not much of a history person," muttered the mysterious woman.

"They were banished. They were chased across the sacred lands of Hyrule and driven into another realm by the goddesses. It was another world entirely... The antithesis of Hyrule, where the sun shines bright." Pausing, Midna looked farther west to where the light of the morning sun still did not reach. "Its denizens became shadows that could not mingle with the light. Eventually, most came to call it the Twilight Realm, and from it, none could return to the world of light...

"They were forever doomed to live in the twilight, flitting in the half-light of dusk, mere shadows of Hyrule... This is the history of the Twili as it has been passed down from our ancestors..." Turning back around, she stared intently back at Link. "Do you now understand what I am? I'm a descendant of the tribe that was banished to the Twilight Realm!" Angered by the memory of what happened to her ancestors, Midna clenched a fist. "It was a peaceful place...until Zant took control of the Twilight Realm and transformed all of the Twili into shadow beasts. It's clear to me now that he somehow gained a great evil power previously unknown to our tribe..."

Shadow nervously shifted her weight, but Midna continued: "In any case, I was sent from there, and could no longer get into the Twilight Realm without his power." Sighing, she moved closer to the two that listened. "...But there's another tale told by my people. Though the goddesses forbade us to return to the world of light, they left one link between the light and the darkness. Something called the Mirror of Twilight was passed to the protectors of Hyrule... It's our only path to the Twilight Realm...and we must get there! You'll come with me...won't you?"

Grinning lightly to show his support, Link gave a firm nod. Despite what her mood had been in the last second, Midna somehow managed a small smile back and gave a light giggle. Her bright orange eyes fell onto those of Shadow. "And you? I don't know exactly what you are, but our end goal seems to be the same: get revenge on Zant. Will you be coming with us back to the Twilight Realm?"

Casting her eyes down, Shadow gave a wry chuckle. It was not quite as cold as her others had been. When she looked back up, a smirk tugged at a corner of her mouth. "Really, Midna, Link I could excuse for not figuring it out, but you?" As Shadow walked up to Midna, Link gave a slight groan at her comment. The woman who remained a mystery to even Midna flicked the imp lightly across her nose. "You guys are stuck with me for at least a while longer. I'm seeing this through."

Midna scrunched up her nose lightly and pulled back. Hey annoyance fading from the nose flick, Midna soon grinned some more and let out another giggle. "Thanks," she added with a nod.

"Now, we gonna go get to the Mirror of Twilight or what?" smirked Shadow.

:::

Link and Shadow were panting as they entered into a large, cavernous room in the Arbiter's Ground. The entire tomb was slowly sinking into the golden sands of the desert. And as for all the bodies that had been executed here, well, they had risen as skeletons and ghosts that tried to kill the two of them. Together, they had bested the mysteries of the ancient place and had made it to what they believed to be the final room. Sand covered the floor, making it difficult to move without sinking down into the grains. Someone, however, was already waiting for them at the center of the large room.

Zant.

Link gasped while Midna nearly growled in anger and Shadow remained silent as the tyrant turned around to look at those who had just entered.

"You're still alive..." he smirked. Though they could not see his face, his arrogance and smirk was heard in every word said. "How astonishing. No wonder some call you 'hero'." A near cackle escaped him. "But this is truly a bittersweet reunion... Truly! For I fear this is the last time I will see you alive!" His gaze moved from the young hero to Shadow. "Shadow...don't disappoint me this time," he murmured.

Catching his breath in confusion, Link drew forth the Master Sword and ran towards Zant, Shadow trailing not far behind. Smirking at their feeble attempts, Zant raised a hand and began to channel some sort of spell. Being careful not to trip and fall into the fairly deep sands, Link raised the blade once he neared the overlord. Yelling out, he brought the sword down, and would have gotten Zant, had he still been there.

Behind him, Shadow cursed under her breath. The overlord had gotten away once again. Clenching his hand into a fist in anger, Link slowly turned around to look at the woman from the Twilight. Her head was cast down, keeping her expression hidden from him. The young hero was about to question her on what Zant had said at the end when the room began to shake. Both of them cried out in surprise and instinctively reached out to each other to steady themselves. Something...something else was there.

"Dammit," cursed Shadow, taking a step back. "We gotta get back to the edge of this room!" she cried out, starting to move. She would have, at least, had not Link still been holding onto her. Looking back over her shoulder, she saw the light glare on his face. "Not _now_ Link! We don't have time for this!" Grunting, she then pulled him with her away from the center of the room.

She was right. Whatever Zant had done, it was not to help them. He easily caught up to her and the two of them ran as fast as they could out of the sands to the edge of the cavernous room. It was just in time, too, for no sooner had they gotten out of the middle then a giant skull burst through from beneath the sands.

The giant skeleton of the dragnetic creature rose up from the depths; Stallord. Shaking its head, Stallord then focused its dead gaze on Link and Shadow. Opening its jaw, the undead creature permitted a giant roar, despite having no lungs. In response to its call, more skeletal minions rose from beneath the sands. These were the remains of warriors, like the others that had littered the tomb.

"Use that spinner to get to Stallord!I'll kill the smaller guys to keep the way clear for you!" commanded Shadow before she charged back out into the sands to re-kill the rising skeletons. Not arguing, Link took out the spinner he acquired earlier in the sinking tomb and began to use it on the rail that ran around the edge of the room.

Once he got around to the backside of Stallord, Link used the speed he built up on the rail to race down the sands to where the giant skeleton waited. A light gasp escaped him as two smaller skeletons rose in his path. Seconds away from running into them, Shadow appeared in the middle of the two skeletons and hacked them down to dust, moving out of the way in time for Link to reach Stallord's spinal column. His impact with the vertebrae sent it shooting out from under the rest of the form. The large creature cried out and spun around to swipe at the young hero. Not staying there long enough for that to happen, Link quickly went back up to the railing to repeat the process two more times.

Only once the final vertebrae was removed did the head of Stallord fall to the sands, once again dead. Its other bones returned to where they once were beneath the deep sand. The other skeletons that had been risen by it also collapsed and sunk back to their resting places. Breathing hard, Link studied the skull as Shadow appeared by his side. Link was about to question Shadow, finally, on what Zant had said, only she pointed back to the center of the room.

A platform had risen partially above the sands, and at the center of it, was a hole just the right size for the spinner. Sighing lightly, Link understood and headed for the platform. Placing the spinner in it, Link began to spin the gears that were connected to it around. The platform they were on began to rumble and then it started to rise above the sands.

"All right, Link! That should just about do it," commented Shadow, sheathing her blade. She looked out across the bridge that led outside of the room they were in. Turning around, she saw Link was back to glaring at her. He had been interrupted earlier with what he wanted to ask her, now he was going to get some answers.

Opening his mouth, he was about to confront her on the matter of Zant when her eyes went wide. It was then a low roar met his ears. Spinning back around, he saw the skull of Stallord had reawakened. Its maw opening, a giant fireball gathered before it. Cursing, he took hold of Shadow's arm and pulled her to the edge of the platform, making sure to take the spinner. As the fireball was shot at them, the two of them jumped off of the newly-created tower and fell back to the sands below.

Grunting in pain, Shadow was first to rise. A groan escaping him, Link stumbled to his feet.

"We gotta...get back up there..." panted Shadow. Gazing up, Link saw the skull of the Stallord still hovered above the top of the tower. He looked down the side of the tower, and down the wall of the room. More tracks for a spinner ran along them. "Guess that leaves no other way..."

Making a noise in confirmation, Link ran over to the track that was on the tower, seeing that was the one that actually rose up. Climbing onto the device, he moved over to the edge as fast as he could, leaving just enough room for Shadow to balance on it too. Together, they raced up the track.

A near-deafening roar met their ears as the skull of Stallord appeared before them once they were around halfway up the tower. Once again, it charged a fireball and shot it at them. Using the technique he learned while in the tomb, Link jumped them across from the spinner track on the tower to the one on the wall. Roaring in defiance, the skull of Stallord moved so it was parallel to the two of them as they spun around the wall. Yelling out, Link jumped from the spinner track once more, this time hitting the floating skull and sending it to the ground.

Shadow and Link also fell back to the sands, rolling to soften the impact. Drawing forth their swords, the two of them raced to the skull while it was still on the ground and began to deal as much damage as they could to it. After enough blows, the skull cried out and rose back into the air. Link prepared to head back to the tracks, but Shadow placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him before he got out of reach. He looked to her and saw that she just watched the skull cry out and shake back and forth. Switching his gaze, Link looked up in time to see the skull explode into dust and fall back harmlessly to the ground.

"And this is why dead things should stay dead," murmured Shadow as she tapped a larger piece of the skull with her sword. "Well, I'll see you back up there." Before Link could do anything, Shadow warped away in the darkness. Sighing in annoyance, the young hero headed back up the track without any more distractions.

"Ready?" asked Shadow once he reached the top. Not answering, Link headed for the cloaked woman, slowly drawing his blade. Once Shadow realized what was going on, it was too late.

Link aimed the Master Sword right for Shadow.

He did not move to strike, but the cold steel was still quite close to the woman's neck. The glare had returned to his expression, and Shadow understood what he wanted. Both previous times he had been interrupted, but not now.

"Wondering about what Zant said to me, huh?" asked Shadow calmly.

_He said for you not to disappoint him again,_ hissed Midna in their minds. _You still work for him, don't you?_

Sighing, Shadow shook her head. "In case you failed to notice, I _did_ disappoint him again. He still believes I'm on his side, waiting for the right moment to strike you down," she explained.

Link continued to hold the blade to Shadow's neck. That answer was not satisfactory. _How do you expect us to trust you?_

"I don't." Both Link and Midna gasped lightly at her response. "I just said you're stuck with me for a while, that doesn't mean I fully expect you to trust me. Just..." A slight smirk appeared across her lips. "Do I really need to point out to you all the times I could have killed you if I were still on Zant's side? You still being here has to count for something."

Ashamed, Link cast his gaze down. Helping them while still keeping her loyal appearance to Zant had to not be an easy task. Nodding numbly, Link lowered the Master Sword and muttered an apology, even Midna added her own. All the actions Shadow had done to help them greatly outweighed that of one line Zant said.

Shadow waved a hand in a dismissive manner. "I would have actually been surprised had you not asked about it. We past that?" Link nodded, giving a small smile at her.

_All right, Link, Shadow let's go! e_xclaimed Midna. _We're close to the Mirror of Twilight..._

Nodding, the two of them quickly headed along the bridge to the outside of the tomb. Night had once more fallen across the land, making the desert air very cool. Running along the broken path, they made it to a large statue at the end. Once again, they had to travel up it using the spinner. It was an interesting device to use, only a bit cramped for two people. Upon reaching the top, Link sighed as he saw another hole, and he repeated what he had done in the previous chamber.

This time, instead of rising, the tower they were on lowered into the sands. a gasp escaped all of them. As it did, the six pillars that surrounded the Mirror Chamber began to rise even higher. Chains that were attached to them began to pull something from within the sands. Reaching out in awe, Link placed a hand on Shadow's shoulder to make her turn around and gaze at the large stone-like object that was wrapped in the chains.

When the rumblings ceased, the two of them headed off the platform they had been on, and went over to the other one that had risen from the sands. Gasping lightly, they stared at what rested at the platform's end.

The Mirror of Twilight was broken, with only a piece of it remaining.

Rising from Link's shadow, Midna glanced at them before floating over to study the mirror. At first she was stunned. Then an anger boiled inside of her, one that she kept to herself.

"Midna..." murmured Shadow as the imp collapsed in despair before the broken mirror. Walking up Link reached out a hand to comfort his companion, but stopped when Shadow placed a hand on his shoulder. Brow creasing, he looked back at the strange woman to ask her why she stopped him. Raising a hand, Shadow pointed and looked up. Following her gaze, Link saw what had caught her attention.

Spirits lingered above each of the towers, all but the one that was partially destroyed. A sense of immense power touched Link's mind. But it was not a dark power like that of Zan'ts, it was calming. These were no ordinary spirits...they were the spirits of the great Sages.

"A dark entity lurks in the twilight... It houses an evil power..." came a chorus of voices.

"You who are guided by fate... You who possess the crest of the goddesses... Hear us," said the Sage of Fire.

"At the command of the goddesses, we sages have guarded the Mirror of Twilight since ancient times," explained the Sage of Shadow.

"You seek it...but the Mirror of Twilight has been fragmented by mighty magic," came the Sage of Forest.

"That magic is a dark power that only he possesses..." added the Sage of Spirit.

The Sage of Light was last to speak. His voice was a sombre one as he looked over the two that listened. "His name is...Ganondorf."

Shadow's brow furrowed while Link gasped lightly. He had heard the legends of the one named Ganondorf. A man of such pure evil... The young hero never imagined the legends to be true.

"He was the leader of a band of thieves who invaded Hyrule in the hopes of establishing dominion over the Sacred Realm," chorused the five Sages. "He was known as a demon thief, an evil-magic wielder renowned for his ruthlessness... But he was blind... In all of his fury and might, he was blind to any danger, and thus was exposed, subdued, and brought to justice. Yet... By some divine prank, he, too, had been blessed with the chosen power of the gods. His abiding hatred and lust for power turned to purest malice... Perhaps that evil power has been passed on to Zant..."

"You're just now figuring out where Zant got his power?" questioned Midna. Clenching a fist, she cast her eyes down . "It's far too late..."

Silent for a moment, the Sages then continued: "Only the true leader of the Twili can utterly destroy the Mirror of Twilight...so Zant could merely break it into pieces. Once broken by magic, the Mirror of Twilight became fragments, which even now lie hidden across the land of Hyrule."

"Where are they?" asked Shadow, taking a step forward.

"One is in the snowy mountain heights..." announced the Sage of Light.

"One is in an ancient grove..." answered the Sages of Forest and Spirit.

"And one is in the heavens..." finished the remaining Sages of Fire and Shadow.

"You who have been sent by the goddesses..." began all of them in unison once more, addressing Link. "You should be able to gather the three pieces... But you must be prepared, for a dangerous power resides in those fragments..."

Link looked down for a moment. This was the burden of one who bore the mantle of being a hero. As such, it was his burden. Nodding, the young hero looked up with new determination in his eyes. He would rise to face it.

"And you..." continued the Sages, switching their powerful gazes to Shadow. "One who is neither of the Twilight nor the Light... Have you chosen your path?"

"Yes," she answered without hesitation. Link and Midna both looked to her. One of neither Twilight nor the Light had been what they called her... What did that make her then? Her hood once more kept her expression completely hidden from them.

"Very well," moaned the Sages as they faded back into nothing.

The three of them looked to each other. Nothing needed to be said. They knew what had to be done now.

The Mirror of Twilight had to be restored.


	7. The Keeper of Darkness

VII

_The Keeper of Darkness_

Panting hard, Link used the Master Sword to keep him from falling over. Fighting a dragon was no easy task.

"You...okay?" breathed out Shadow. The young hero swallowed and nodded before straightening. Letting out a sigh, Shadow stretched her arms above her head. While Link had to use his double clawshots to get from tower to tower and then use them on the dragon, Shadow had to use her powers and teleport everywhere in this city in the sky. Though she only ever warped herself, doing so had taxed her powers.

Above them, the skies finally began to clear. With the dragon that had been possessed by the evils in the piece of the Mirror of Twilight, the unnatural weather had ceased. Looking up, they saw the final piece they searched for restore itself and lower down to their eye level. Coming from his shadow, Midna took hold of the piece.

"Link, Shadow, you did it! It's the fourth shard!" Stashing it away, she gave a weak smile to them. They had faced a cold and snow-covered mountain, and traveled back through the Temple of Time to gather the other two pieces. "Now we have them all!" Pausing, her smile faded. "Hey...guys. The words of the Sages... Do you remember them? Only the true ruler of the Twili can destroy the Mirror of Twilight. Zant could only break the Mirror of Twilight into shards... He couldn't utterly shatter it. That's proof of his false kingship." Shaking her head, Midna clenched a fist in anger at the thought. "We have to hurry! To the Mirror Chamber! After all, a fake is a fake...and no matter how much you dress it up, the real thing always wins!"

Moving away from them, the strange imp created a portal of Twilight for them to use. Link let out a long sigh before he glanced to Shadow. She seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before she felt his gaze on her. Forcing a smile, she nodded to him to try to show that everything was all right.

"It's almost over..." she commented. Her words were quiet as she headed for Midna, so quiet Link almost did not catch it. At first, as he moved to catch up to Shadow and Midna, he thought the woman just meant the matter with Zant. But as he replayed how she said it in his mind, he noted that was not all. Something else was lingering on her mind. Something else would soon be over for her.

Once the two of them neared, Midna warped them back to the Mirror Chamber in the Arbiter's Ground. When they had been fully transported, Link and Shadow walked up towards the broken Mirror of Twilight. Midna trailed behind them, soon moving in front. Raising her hands, she sent forth the three pieces of the mirror they had to be reforged with the piece that remained.

The Mirror of Twilight glowed once all the pieces were one again. As it did, the chains on the giant dark stone resonated and glowed in the same light as the mirror did then shattered to dust. Freed from its chains, the dark stone fell into the golden sands. Ground shaking from the impact, Link and Shadow had to steady their footing. Gasping lightly, Link watched as the Mirror of Twilight shone a light out to the black stone. Designs glowed brightly on the dark stone and a portal into the Twilight Realm was created.

"Some call our realm a world of shadows, but that makes it sound unpleasant..." commented Midna, hovering above the mirror. "The twilight there holds a serene beauty... You have seen it yourself as the sun sets on this world. Bathed in that light, all people were pure and gentle... But things changed once that foul power pervaded the world..."

"It was all our doing..." came the hollow voices of the Sages. Turning around, they saw the five spirits watched them. "We overestimated our abilities as sages and attempted to put an end to Ganondorf's evil magic... I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive our carelessness..." All of them bowed their heads to Midna. "O Twilight Princess."

Blinking in surprise, Link stared at Midna, while Shadow dipped her head in respect to the ruler.

"What? So...you knew?" asked the imp, bashfully rubbing her arm. "As a ruler who fled her people, I'm hardly qualified to forgive you." Pausing, Midna looked to Link. "In our world, we've long believed that the Hero would appear as a divine beast. That's why when I found you, I thought I could use you, Link. And I only cared about returning our world to normal... I didn't care what happened to the world of light, not at all." She hung her head in shame.

Link also cast his eyes down. Now he fully knew what Midna's intentions had been.

"But after witnessing the selfless lengths that Princess Zelda and you have gone to... Your sacrifices..." Turning around, the Twilight Princess looked to Shadow. "And Shadow... They say you are not of either of these worlds, yet you fight to protect both. You say you do not expect us to trust you, but I do!" Backing up, she moved so that the two of them could be in her line of sight at once. "I now know, in the bottom of my heart, that I must save this world, too. There is no other way. If we can just defeat Zant, the curse on me will dissolve, and we may be able to revive Zelda. Let's go, Link, Shadow! For Zelda! For all of this world!"

All of them nodded, and Midna returned to her haven in Link's shadow. The two of them took one last look to the spirits of the Sages and saw them bow once more before fading away.

"This way," commented Shadow, headed over to the edge of the platform closest to the black stone. When she did, steps made of lights in the same design as those on the Mirror of Twilight and the stone appeared. The two of them headed up the small flight of stairs and once they reached the top, all of them were sent into the Twilight Realm.

When they entered, the two of them only had a moment to look around before a cold laughter met their ears.

"Ah, Shadow, Shadow..." came the taunting voice of Zant. Whirling around, Link and Shadow drew their blades and looked for him. The overlord, however, was no where to be seen. "Thank you for bringing them here, but now your time with them is over."

Hearing Shadow cry out, Link spun around. A portal of Twilight appeared at her feet and began to drag her down. Grunting, the woman tried to break free from the hold it had on her, but to no avail. Link shouted out in protest and reached out for his companion, but was pushed back by an unseen force. He cried out her name, as did Midna.

"Link...Midna..." she grunted before being completely swallowed by the portal. "Defeat Zant...!" Her final wish was barely heard before she disappeared into the portal and it closed up.

Falling to his knees, Link slammed his fists to the ground. Zant had now taken away another of his friends; it was completely unforgivable. Hovering to his side, Midna placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"We'll get her back, Link. Along with that other friend of yours," muttered Midna. Rising, Link nodded.

Now was the hour where Zant would finally pay.

Silently, the two waited there a moment, soaking in the full weight of what had just transpired. If there was anything to make them fully trust Shadow, it had been this. Her kidnapping only added to the anger Link felt for Zant for what he had done to his home and friends.

"Um, listen, Link. Can I ask you one last selfish favor?" asked Midna quietly after a moment. Brought from his brooding thoughts, the young hero looked to the Twilight Princess. "Regardless of what my reasons may have been, I once abandoned this world..." Ashamed, she turned away. "I left behind the Twili. Those who had followed me... Who considered me their ruler..." A sigh escaped her as she cast her eyes up to the twilight-cast sky. "Even now, as they remain here, suffering, they believe that help will come for this world... But if they were to see that the only help for them was a hideous little imp..." Pausing, she stared down at her hands. The green designs on her skin stood out greatly in the light. "Don't you think they'd feel let down? It's only for a little bit longer... Do you mind if I continue to hide as your shadow while you're in human form? I'm sorry..."

A soft smile touched Link's lips. His companion certainly had changed from when he first met her. All of them had changed on this journey. Midna, Shadow, himself; even those who had not been with them had changed, such as Colin. When the cursed Princess turned back around, Link gave a nod in confirmation. Weakly, Midna smiled back at him, a light chuckle escaping her, not quite her normal giggle.

"Thank you..." With a twirl of her form, Midna hid herself back into Link's shadow, her mind once more touching his while she waited there. _All right! Let's go defeat Zant and get Shadow back!_ she thought to him with a new voice of determination. Finding his own strength to go on, Link gave a nod and headed off through the Twilight Palace.

Midna had been right: the twilight had slowly grown on him since the start of this all. It was still a sad place to him (he suspected that was partially due to Zant being in rule), but he could now see the beauty that Midna admired in this land.

Looking up, Link drew his blade as he saw a creature of the Twilight in their path. It had thankfully not noticed him yet. _Wait! This guy isn't an enemy, Link,_ shouted Midna in his mind to stop him before he charged. Still holding the hilt of his blade tightly, the young hero waited for an explanation. From his shadow, the imp studied the creature before them. _They might look different, but...they're inhabitants of this world... _Link swore she nearly choked in despair. _They're my people._ Inside, she began to fill with such anger he had not yet seen from her. _Zant... How could he..._

:::

Shadow screamed. Searing pain shot through her entire body. Dark magic that was not her own tore at her very soul. Never before had she felt such torment. Wishing she could thrash out, the mysterious woman fell to her knees as the pain receded for a moment. Her breathing shallow and ragged, Shadow wanted to pass out right there.

"Traitor..." hissed Zant. His clenched fist opened. "You were on _their_ side after all."

Despite the situation, Shadow managed to bark out a coarse laugh. Her throat sore from screaming, she could barely do anything else. "Idiot... You sad, blind, fool..." she croaked out. Shaking from head to toe, the woman managed to stand. "I was _never_ on your side." Coughing out, she nearly fell back down her her knees. "A usurper... A tyrant who gets his power from someone else...and that someone else who then gets their power from _another_ being!" Her orange eyes flared in anger. "What ever made you think I would be on _your_ side, or _Ganondorf's_?"

Yelling out in anger, Zant swung his arm through the air. Though they were many feet apart, the force of the attack sent Shadow flying back in her weakened state. Her black cloak settled on her prone body, though her hood was not once tossed around.

"You insolent fool!" hollered Zant, rising from his throne. "You dare speak that way, even with _what you are_? You sh―"

"_Especially_ with what I am!" she coughed back, somehow managing to make her voice stop him. "I shall not be some _puppet_ for yours or his plans _any more_!" Fumbling, she found the strength to rise once again. It made her body ache, but she gritted her teeth and took the pain. "Tyrant Zant! You shall regret the day that you brought me from my slumber! You shall regret the day that Ganondorf sought to use my power as his own! Some things are best left hidden..." Hands shaking more than ever, she reached back to grip the hilt of her sword. "AND MY RAGE IS ONE OF THEM!" Taking a step forward to confront the tyrant, Shadow then froze in place.

Zant had raised his hand back into a fist. His magic was already at work. "Fool...you cannot even use all the power that you hold... Especially with my lord using it for his own will. You could not defeat me in this state..." A sly smirk spread across his face beneath his mask.

Shadow winced as the pain began to shoot through her body once again. It was as though her very life was being crushed out of her. Her hand fell from her blade as shakes ran along her entire body as she attempted to keep herself from screaming out. "Oh, not by me..." The pain shot through her again as her upper lip curled into a smirk of her own. "But by the Chosen Hero that has come here... Link shall stop you!"

"Is that so?" Zant clenched his fist tighter, and the pain shot through Shadow ten times as strong. She screamed and screamed again. She screamed long and hard until she could scream no more. "Well then..." smirked the tyrant. Beneath the waves of power, Shadow could feel her will beginning to break. "First, we shall see if he can stop _you_..."

A final scream pierced through the Twilight Palace as Shadow felt her will completely shatter.

:::

The Master Sword glowed in the everlasting Twilight. Since coming to this land, Link had gained the power of the Sol, that which gave power to the Twilight Realm. Once focused in the blade, it made cutting through the darkness in the land much easier. And with it, he knew he could now defeat Zant. Just a little longer now...and it would be over.

Once he entered a dark chamber, the young hero stopped. The shadows pressed in on his very senses, aching to snuff out the light of his being and that of his blade that had intruded upon their home. Materializing, Midna hovered about and looked across the chamber.

"That's odd..." she murmured, cupping her chin in her hand. "It shouldn't be that dark in here." As though they were responding to her observation, designs like the others through out the palace began to glow about their feet. Looking down, they watched as pulses of energy traveled along the designs, slowly illuminating the chamber. The darkness in the room seemed to groan in anger as it was pushed back.

As the chamber slowly came to life, torches along the side burst into flame to further lighten the room. The young hero could hear the darkness cry out as the final pair of torches were lit. Walking forward slowly, Link studied the chamber. At his side, Midna hovered down to rest her arms on Link's shoulder. The Twilight Princess also looked around the now-lit chambers. Her grip on his shoulder suddenly tightened as her orange eyes fell at what was at the opposite end of the chamber.

"Link..." she breathed. The young hero furrowed his brow a moment as he glanced back to her. Once he saw the look in her eye, he felt his own breath quicken. Slowly, his own gaze moved to follow Midna's, and it was then it felt as though a hand tightened around his chest.

Shadow stood at the end of the chamber, sword drawn and waiting.

"Shadow! Are you okay? Why are you standing there?" questioned Midna, rising back into the air. They waited a few moments for a response, but none came. "Shadow!"

Calmly, the mysterious woman raised her head. It was then both Link and Midna gasped. Before, darkness had always been a part of Shadow's features. There were times when there was not as much, like when she was at peace, or when there was more, like when she was angered. But now... All of her features were hidden within the darkness that consumed her face. Only her eyes, those bright orange eyes, managed to break free from its depths.

"Shadow...what happened to you?" asked Midna softly. A wry laugh escaped Shadow as she took a step towards them. Not rushing, not lingering, she merely walked calmly towards the young hero. Even Link called out her name in hopes that it would return her to her senses.

"Zant... Zant did this to you, didn't he?" questioned Midna.

Shadow paused in her steps. "Talkative little imp, aren't you?" Over the time spent traveling with her, Link had grown used to the cold voice. Her voice now, however...froze him to the very core of his being.

"Link... This isn't right... Zant _must_ have done something to her!" whispered Midna to the young hero.

"What's the matter, hero _boy_?" chided Shadow, brandishing her blade. "Too much of a little wuss to move?"

"You must fight her... You must, Link! It's the only chance at freeing her from his hold!" ordered Midna, escaping back into Link's shadow. Grunting, the young hero tightened the grip on his blade.

"Ah, so maybe you're not such a wuss after all... Just a fool..." taunted Shadow as she continued towards Link. He glared at her. No, not her... The anger in his glare was directed at the one who caused all of this: Zant. "Let's see how long you can last, hero boy!"

Yelling out, the mysterious woman charged for Link faster than he thought humanly possible. Grunting in surprise, he barely had time to raise his shield to deflect the attack. Shadow's cold laughter sent a chill down his spine. Using his rage as strength, Link forced her to move back. As she did, he brought the Master Sword to attack. A gasp escaped her as she danced out of the way just in time to dodge the attack. Though it missed, she still cried out in pain and clasped her hand to her face for a moment.

In that time where Shadow was confused, Link tried to figure out why that had happened. As he moved to strike again, he realized what it was: the light from his blade. The power from the Sol that had illuminated the Master Sword had harmed Shadow. Why though? Had she not come from the Twilight Realm? Was not the Sol part of her own power source? Shadow sent out a sloppy attack, for she was still partially dazed from the light. Dodging to the side, Link remembered what the Sages had said: "One who is neither of the Twilight nor the Light". Even the powers of this land were not a friend to Shadow.

"Dammit," she cursed as she regained her footing. "Guess I gotta watch out for your glowing stick."

Yelling out, Link sent forth a spin attack. Now prepared for what the Master Sword could do to her, Shadow raised her cloak to block her eyes and rolled out of the way. Not wanting to let up for a second, Link jumped forward and brought down his sword down as hard as he could. A loud clang filled the air as the Master Sword came in contact with the floor.

"Not bad, not bad..." murmured Shadow. Link looked frantically around for the source of the voice. "But you're still a little too slow!" The young hero barely had enough time to react. Brining the Master Sword back up, he deflected the attack from Shadow, but not enough. Her cold blade sliced through his tunic and pierced through the chain mail on his side. Warm blood began seep from the wound. He winced, not wanting to think about how worse it would have been. "So the hero boy really does have some skill after all..."

Enraged, Link pulled back from Shadow's blade and bashed her with his shield. While she was still dazed from it, the young hero quickly kicked her in the legs so her footing would be lost. Grunting in surprise, Shadow fell onto her back. Link wanted to get this over with. He wanted to free Shadow. Taking the opportunity, he moved in with his sword raised. But Shadow was still too fast.

Laughing out, she rolled to the side and jumped back to her feet.

"You're still holding back, hero boy!" she taunted. "Afraid you'll hurt me?"

Link gasped in surprise. Those words... There was something familiar about them... In fact, there was something familiar about this whole battle. He had seen the way Shadow fought, but this was the first time he was actually fighting her. Her moves... Her speed... Even her taunts (to some degree)... Everything about this battle was familiar to him.

His surprise and moment of nostalgia was his undoing. In a flash, Shadow had moved to strike. Cursing under his breath, Link tried to block with the Master Sword. As soon as Shadow's blade came in contact with it, the force of her strike sent it flying out of Link's hands. Once he was disarmed, Shadow moved down and kicked the young hero in his legs so that he was the one to be sent flying on his back. Grunting, Link skidded across the floor. Midna cried out in protest as his shield was also knocked from his arm as he fell down.

"How unfortunate..." came the cold voice of Shadow. Eyes opening, Link saw that Shadow was above him, the tip of her blade at his neck. This move... Only one person had ever done it successfully on him. It just had to be... "But it looks like the so-called Chosen Hero was nothing more than a farm boy after all..." Shadow then raised her sword to strike.

This was his one chance. Bringing his legs up, Link kicked Shadow in her stomach, sending her stumbling back. As fast as he could, the young hero jumped up and moved in towards the mysterious woman. Once close enough, he grabbed the hilt of her blade with one hand to keep it from stabbing him, and reached up for her hood with the other.

Grabbing the dark cloth, Link pulled it back to reveal her face. Darkness clung to her features, trying desperately to keep its hold on her even though her hood no longer protected it. Grudgingly, it receded, and her features were completely revealed to Link. He could not believe what he saw. Her eyes may have been different, but there was only one person with that face.

Quietly, he whispered out her true name. The name of the person he had continued to search for throughout all this. The name of his dearest friend. San.

Her eyes went wide as he said her name. Those orange eyes that were sill a mockery of a Hylian's flashed to a deep green for a second.

"San...?" she whispered, her grip on the sword going limp. She said the name again, as if testing it. Her voice no longer had the touch of death in it. Smiling ever so slightly, Link nodded. San said her name again, and when she did, her eyes changed completely back to their beautiful forest-green. It truly was her. "Link..." A smile touched her own lips for a moment before her eyes went wide with pain.

Crying out, she fell to her knees. Quickly, Link grabbed her shoulders and asked what was wrong. San could not answer for the pain was too strong. While Zant had been correct in that with wearing the robe she would not forget any more of her memories, as long as the hood had been up, she could not regain any more that had been lost. With Link removing the hood, all the memories he was connected to and more came rushing back into her mind. Eventually, the bombardment on her mind ceased, and her screams stopped.

"Link... It really is you..." she breathed out. Link could not help but feel a wave of relief. San had been with him this whole time. He did not pretend to understand what really went on with her and her counterpart, but that could wait for another time. She was safe. She was here. For a moment, all was well.

Nodding to reassure her, Link then pulled his hands from her shoulders. He moved to take her hands in his, but in the second when removed his hands, a barrier of magic shot up around San. The force and shock of it pushed the young hero back. Calling out her name, he rushed forward and slammed his fists against the barrier.

"Such a nuisance..." came the mocking voice of Zant.

"Link!" From the inside, San tried to break through the barrier as well, but all of their efforts were in vain.

"It was necessary that we had you out there using your power...but to lose you over something as small as this... How regrettable. Come, O Keeper of Darkness..." At Zant's words, Link gasped. "Your task here is done... Return to my lord, and give him your full power!"

The young hero cried out in protest as San was taken away from him once again.

"Link...I'm sorry..." she murmured before she was completely transported away. The barrier disappeared, and Link had to quickly pull himself back to keep from falling down. Clenching his hands to fists, he cursed under his breath.

"We're almost to Zant, Link! Don't give up!" reassured Midna as she came from his shadow. "The Keeper of Darkness...so it was her all along... Huh? Link?" Midna blinked and watched the young hero as he went to retrieve his blade and shield. Without saying a word, he turned around and began to head for the door that would lead to the next chamber. Once the Twilight Princess saw the look in his eyes, she knew there was nothing that would be holding him back.

At last. This confrontation was drawing to an end.

Determined, he burst through the doors into the next chamber. Unlike the last one, the designs were already giving off their pulsating glow. Grunting in anger, Link gripped the Master Sword tighter as he went to the center of the chamber. At the other end was a throne, and on it sat the tyrant Zant.

"Zant," hissed Midna, hovering before Link. The imp slowly smirked at the overlord. "Isn't this ironic? Here we are, all thanks to the dark magic curse you placed on Link!"

A cold, mocking laugh escaped Zant as he calmly remained on the throne. "You speak of magic? Still your tongue for a moment, whelp, and I will tell you of both magic and the oppression of ages..." Rising, the taunting smirk remained forever on his face. "The people of our tribe...a tribe that mastered the arts of magic...were locked away in this world like insects in a cage." Slowly, Zant began to walk forward. As he did, the rest of his mask receded into his mantle, revealing his relatively flat snake-like face and orange eyes.

"In the shadows we regressed," he continued, "so much so that we soon knew neither anger nor hatred...nor even the faintest bloom of desire. And all of it was the fault of a useless, do-nothing royal family that had resigned itself to this miserable half-existence!" He let out a slow cry, and then proceeded to throw a temper tantrum like that of a two-year-old. "I had served and endured in that depraved household for far too long, my impudent princess. And why, you ask? Because I believed I would be the next to rule our people! THAT is why! But would they acknowledge me as their king? No! And as such, I was denied the magic powers befitting our ruler. It was then, in the thrall of hatred and despair, that I turned my eyes to the heavens...and found a god."

The memory of what Ganondorf told him them still replayed freshly. "I shall house my power in you... If there is anything you desire, then I shall desire it, too." On the edge of despair, Ganondorf's offer had been exactly what Zant needed.

"My god had only one wish..." continued the tyrant, his mask forming back up. "To merge shadow and light...and make darkness!" Rising into the air, Zant let out a shock wave of power.

The battle was on.

Link was nearly unsettled within the first few seconds. Everything around him changed after the overlord cast his spell. There was no more cold stone and glowing designs of the Twilight Palace, he was back in Forest Temple where he got the first piece of the Fused Shadow. He shook of the prickling sensation in the back of his mind. There had not been the same lurching sensation as when Midna transported, as such, he gathered that all of this was an illusion of some sorts.

Just when Link had gotten used to fighting the way he had done back then, Zant switched the illusion on the young hero. Instead of fighting back in the Forest Temple, a wave of heat washed over Link as his surroundings changed to that of the Goron Mines. Unused to such heat, for it had been a while, Link had to be a lot more careful in this location while fighting Zant than the last one.

This manner of fighting continued on for a while. The moment Link got adjusted to his new surroundings and the style in which he had to fight, Zant would change the illusion. The overlord picked some sort of battle from Link's journey each time as well. It was a dragged out battle, but with the Master Sword in his hand, Link knew he was slowly beating Zant down. He especially knew he was slowly winning when Zant changed the illusion once more and it was not to of a place Link had previously battled in.

Bringing his shield up, Link studied the new surroundings. They were at Hyrule Castle, the wall of Twilight pressing in on them. Crying out, Zant drew two blades of his own (in all the previous illusions, he had fought like the monsters Link had previously beaten). Link dodged just in time from a strike from the overlord. This was the last stage. It just had to be. Zant let out a maniacal cackle as he teleported away. Straining his senses, Link tried to calm his breathing as he waited for the overlord to appear again.

A cry of surprise escaped the young hero as he rolled to the side. In a flurry, Zant had charged right for him, swinging his blades around faster than any human could wield. The young hero felt the cold steel graze over him. Had he not been as fast, he was certain he would have had a deep wound...if not dead. Jumping up, Link slashed out a Zant's back. The overlord cried out in pain and surprise before vanishing again.

The moment that happened, Link brought up his shield and waited. He could win this, it would just take time. Grunting, he turned around in time to defend against Zan't wild attacks. Taking a firm footing, Link shield-bashed the overlord and got in a strike. This process of defend and attack continued on for several rounds. The longer it went on, the more frantic and wild Zant's attacks became.

He was becoming desperate.

Yelling out, Link parried an attack and sent back one of his own. That was the final strike Zant needed. Crying out in pain, Zant transported back away from Link. Around them, the illusion began to falter. It flashed several more times before completely disappearing in a bright flash of light.

Gasping, Midna looked up. The Fused Shadows they gathered way back when hovered around her. Holding out her hands, she felt the power from the Fused Shadows join with hers. Such strength in it...she was nearly frightened by what it was. But, what made her more surprised than that was that the power from the Fused Shadows had not returned her to normal.

"Y-You...TRAITORS!" howled Zant. Looking up, Link and Midna saw Zant had returned to his throne...defeated. His shoulders rose and fell slowly as he tried to control his breathing.

"Traitors, ha!" laughed Midna. A glare was shot to the tyrant. "You want to know why none would call you king? It was your eyes, Zant. All saw it, a lust for power burning in your pupils... Did you think we'd forget our ancestors lost their king to such greed?"

Despite his injuries, a cold laugh escaped Zant. "Midna... Foolish Twilight Princess... The curse on you cannot be broken..." Slowly, he raised his heads to look at those that had defeated him. A crazed look crossed his face. "It was placed on you by the magic of my god! The power you held as leader of the Twili will never return! Already he has descended and been reborn in this world... As long as my master, Ganon, survives, he will resurrect me without cease!"

Angered beyond belief, Midna felt a surge from her newfound power. Without knowing what would happen, she let it snap. The headset she wore lashed out three tentacle-like limbs towards Zant. The tyrant usurper noticed too late. The attack pierced straight through his body, and made him explode into nothing from the power.

When the attack came back, Midna was completely shocked. Frightened by the power within it, she placed her hands over her face.

"I... I used just a fraction of the power that's in me now... I did THAT using only a fraction of my ancestor's magic?" She trembled for a few seconds longer before she held herself taller. Turning around, she looked back to Link. "Link! Now is the time! We must save Zelda, and your friend! The evil power Zant was wielding... I couldn't take it from him. But at least I still have the magic of my ancestors... With it, I can return the cherished power Zelda bestowed upon me..." When she glanced away, the Twilight Princess created a portal for them to use. "Now! Let's go! Princess Zelda is waiting!"

:::

"So Ganondorf was just using Zant to help him return to the world of light..." murmured Midna as the two of them stared up towards Hyrule Castle. The barrier of Twilight still encompassed it, keeping anything from going in or coming out. "I guess now we know the true nature of that barrier over Hyrule Castle... He's in Hyrule Castle, I'm sure of it... Princess Zelda is in grave danger!"

Moving from Link's shoulder, Midna floated through the air and stopped before the double-doors before the barrier surrounding the castle. A soft sigh escaped her as she landed on the ground. Holding out her hand, she summoned forth the three pieces of the Fused Shadow. They floated around her for a moment as she tried to control them to her will. In a flash, the pieces joined the rest of her headset, forming a helmet. Further away, Link gasped, unsure as to what would occur next.

Grunting lightly, Midna gripped the helmet as her ancestor's abilities rose inside of her. Such power... Such strength... Such a thing should not be allowed to exist. A cry escaped her as she was flung against a side wall. Again and again. She was tossed about like some play thing. Higher and higher it threw her until she was higher than the walls around them.

Below, all Link could do was watch. His hand had automatically went for the hilt of the Master Sword, but there was nothing he could do now. A rumbling met his ears as the structure and ground around him began to shake. When the rumblings ceased, Link gasped lightly as a massive hand reached over the wall where Midna had been thrown to. It seemed to be made up of Twilight. Another hand reached out and up rose what looked to be a monster with the Fused Shadows on its head. Was this the true power of the Twili?

Link gripped his sword tighter as he drew it forth. He was afraid for a moment that Midna had been destroyed because of that thing, and the monster looked down to him. A few moments passed where Link was filled with uncertainty. But then, as quickly as it had risen up, the beast jumped from the wall onto the barrier surrounding the Castle.

Its many limbs nearly flailed for a moment as it tried to get a grip on the barrier. Once a hold had been established, the beast scrambled up the side. Finding a weak spot in the defense, the beast conjured a a spear and jammed it into the shield with all of its might and power. It was enough. A crack spread from the point of impact across the surface. From the cracks seeped an immense amount of light, but no matter what, the beast kept its hold on the spear, making sure that the shield would be destroyed.

Below, Link sheathed his blade and rose a hand to keep the light from blinding him. There was such great power behind it, despite the fact it was only light. When it faded, and the rain began to fall, Link lowered his hand and ventured to look out. Midna was lying on the ground not far from him, her mask returned to the state it was before the Fused Shadows had joined with her. Dashing forward, he quickly picked her up and shook her to bring her back to consciousness.

Groaning softly, Midna opened her eyes and looked up at Link. The young hero gave a reassuring smile to his companion. Together, the two of them looked back to Hyrule Castle. The barrier of Twilight had been shattered, leaving a clear path for them to enter. Nothing would stop him, Link vowed to himself. No matter how long it would take, he would find Zelda...and San.

:::

Fierce winds tore at them as Link and Midna climbed the final flight of stairs to the throne room. Lightning flashed in the distance, being shortly followed by thunder. This was the final place in the castle... They just had to be there. When they entered, Link drew his blade in the darkened hall. Only when the lightning flash did he have enough light to see the state of the room. The head of a statue of one of the Goddess lay on the floor to the side of the carpet.

A gasp escaped the two of them when they looked to the end of the chamber, and saw the grand statue that had been broken. It was not that that had made them shocked, though. At the center of the statue, the Triforce, rested something that should not have been there.

Princess Zelda.

She hung limp, suspended by some unknown force. Letting his gaze travel down, Link then saw his friend. She was still imprisoned in the shield that was akin to the one that had been blocking off the castle. Seeing her in that state made the young hero's blood boil. Glaring, he gripped the hilt of his blade and started to head forward. He would free them both.

A hand being held out stopped him. Annoyed, Link looked to Midna, wondering why she would stop him when they were so close. She shook her head lightly, and then pointed up to the third figure who was up there. Hidden in the shadows, Link had not noticed him earlier.

The man sat on the throne. His red hair and armor were the only things to make him distinguishable from his surroundings. When Link saw the man, he wanted to kill him right then for all he had caused.

Ganondorf looked up and smirked at the young hero, his chin resting calmly on his hand. "Welcome to my castle."


	8. The End of All Things

VIII

_The End of All Things_

Glaring up, Link gripped the hilt of the Master Sword tighter. He wanted to go up there and end all of this right now. Everything... Ganondorf was at the center of it all. He had been the puppeteer behind Zant. He had been the one to set the events in motion. He was the one to take the blame.

"So you're...Ganondorf," murmured Midna. Link looked over and saw that even the Twilight Princess was glaring at the man sitting on the throne. The young hero was not alone in his anger. Rising, Ganondorf gave out a dark laugh. His dark eyes studied them. Smirking, he seemed to have found them wanting. To Link's side, Midna let out an evil grin of her own to counter. "I've been dying to meet you."

"Your people have long amused me, Midna." Calmly, the heavily-armored man walked forward. "To defy the gods with such petty magic, only to be cast aside... How very pathetic. Pathetic as they were, though, they served me well. Their anguish was my nourishment. Their hatred bled across the void and awakened me. I drew deep of it and grew strong again. Your people had some skill, to be sure...but they lacked true power." Smirking, Ganondorf looked from them up to Zelda. "The kind of absolute power that those chosen by the gods wield. He who wields such power would make a suitable king for this world, don't you think?" When he turned back around, Ganondorf raised his right hand.

On he back of it glowed the symbol of the Triforce.

"Ha! Such conceit!" barked Midna, swiping her hand through the air. "But if you are one of the chosen wielders of power, as you claim... I will risk everything to deny you!"

A deep laugh escaped Ganondorf. Her words only seemed to amuse him. "Shadow has been moved by light, it seems..." A grin of pure malice spread across his face. "...How amusing. Very well... Deny me, then! Yes, try to deny me... You and your little friends..." Laughing like a mad man, Ganondorf raised a hand.

Gasping, Link tried to run forward to confront the dark lord, but was once again stopped by Midna. All he could do was stand and watch as Ganondorf further drained San's power. A hoarse cry in protest escaped her as she eyed the man responsible for all of this. Link felt a hand tighten around his chest for her eyes had once again reverted to the orange colour that mocked her own. The darkness within her, the Darkness that Ganondorf sought, had once again taken its hold over her.

Behind the shield, her body went even more limp. Orange eyes closed once again. The drain of power had been too much on her. A dark laugh escaped Ganondorf once he was satisfied. Finished with San, he moved onto his next target. Unlike San, Zelda had no barrier to keep the young hero and his companion from trying to defend.

Before Link could move, Midna rose up through the air and tried to act as a shield for Zelda. Ganondorf, who merely laughed at such a feeble attempt, transformed himself into some sort of energy. The particles rose, and, after hovering before Midna, shot past her and into Princess Zelda.

Opening an eye slowly, Midna first studied herself, hoping she had been at least some small means of defense. But alas, she had been untouched. Turning around, Midna moved close to the unconscious Princess and raised her hand to strike. Ganondorf was in her now. He had to be taken care of! But, as Midna lowered her hand, she realized she could not harm the Princess. As in apology, Midna moved to place a hand on Zelda's cheek. But, the cursed Princess was sent shooting back through the air.

Ganondorf had taken control of Zelda's body. Crying out in protest, Link dashed back through the hall to try to reach Midna. Before he got too close, a wall of Twilight, similar to that which encased San and that had blocked off the Castle, barricaded the path before him, keeping Midna from being reached. Sensing something, Link spun back around. It was just in time, too. Zelda, showing markings of her possession, neared the young hero.

"Both of you, faithless fools who would dare to take up arms against the king of light and shadow..." Her voice was not her own...it was Ganondorf's. Using her as a puppet, the dark lord forced Zelda to take up arms and set her to hover high above Link. "So you choose. And so you shall feel my wrath!"

Link grunted in frustration. Reaching back, he drew forth the Master Sword once more (he had sheathed it while trying to get to Midna), and just in time too. Zelda had shot forth some sort of electrical attack for the young hero. Not quite sure if it would work, Link sliced at it with the blade. The powers flowing from the Master Sword repelled the attack back towards Zelda. The possessed Princess was too fast though, and she shot it back. Not expecting it to bounce back to rapidly, Link was too slow and the attack hit him.

Pain coursed through his body as the energy shot through him. Panting hard, Link tried his best to keep himself from yelling out. Barely able to grip his sword, Link looked back up. As he did, he saw Zelda had charged another attack. Rolling back, the young hero brought up his sword with not a second to lose in deflecting it. Zelda, this time, was the one be caught off guard by it.

The attack was enough. Crying out, Zelda, who was still possessed, fell to the floor. With her, or rather Ganondorf, unconscious, the walls of Twilight faded away. The young hero was no longer trapped to fight inside the chamber for the moment. Gasping, he looked up and saw the shield that had been supporting San also faded away with the rest. His friend fell to the floor beside the throne, the cape of her old captor settling over her body. That tight feeling around his chest returned as he tried to run to her side. But, like the other times since being here, a hand on his shoulder prevented him from dashing off.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw Midna had returned. With the barrier gone, she had made her way back in. She nodded once before moving away from where Link stood. Like when they had been outside the Castle, the cursed Princess summoned forth the pieces of the Fused Shadow. Since he knew what was to come, the young hero quickly moved off to the side so his companion would have enough space.

A glance over his shoulder told him that the possessed Zelda was afraid of this power. In her state, though, she could do nothing. In that instant, two of the limbs from the Twilight beast that Midna had become shot out and grasped the possessed Princess. Ganondorf's voice cried out as Midna crushed her hands together. Being careful of her powers, Midna forced Ganondorf to leave Zelda's body or be completely destroyed.

Once he had fled from there, Midna placed Zelda on her throne. The Princess was unharmed.

"Watch...out...!" coughed a weak voice. Looking over, Link saw San's orange eyes glinted in the dim light. It was quite unsettling to him, to see the friend he had known all his life to have those eyes. But, at least she appeared safe...for now. Her hand, shaking lightly, pointed to something behind the young hero. He had not noticed it until San pointed it out, but the presence that had been controlling Zelda began to gather behind where he stood.

As Midna came back to his side, back in imp form, Link turned around, blade raised and ready. He shared a look with Midna, one that said they would finish this. Raising his shield, the young hero faced the form that was Ganondorf. A low moan in anger was escaping the dark lord. His body was completely blanketed in darkness, showing how much power he had stolen for himself

His moanings seemed to slowly transform into a growl-like noise. As they did, the shadows encasing his body transformed. Their powers rose and groaned. Link recognized it as the same darkness that had engulfed San back in the Twilight Palace. It grew and morphed about the dark lord, changing his form into something else. His form grew and grew, until it towered above the young hero. Rearing back, the darkness that had transformed him broke away, revealing what he had changed into.

A dark-skinned beast with a mane of red, a near pig-like face, and two large tusks growled down at the young hero. For a moment, Link was unnerved. The power of Darkness could certainly create some terrible beasts. Gripping his sword, Link reassured himself that they had come this far...they could defeat the dark lord. He was nothing more than someone who had stolen the power he wielded. Inside, Link's anger grew. That power had been taken from his dearest friend.

Without warning, the dark beast Ganon (for he was no longer Ganondorf in this form), charged for the young hero. The entire chamber shook with his massive weight being moved around; it even resonated within Link's body. Grunting out, Link barely had time to roll out of the way to dodge. A cry escaped him as he felt his feet had not gotten out of reach in time, and they were attacked by Ganon's front claws. Cursing, he studied the wound while the dark beast turned around to face him again.

Ganondorf had become a beast to fight...perhaps it was best to fight fire with fire, figured the young hero. Midna immediately picked up on what he was thinking and quickly used the power they had kept from Zant for all this time to transform Link into his wolf form. Back on four paws, the wound on his hind leg was not as critical as it would have been on only two legs.

This time when Ganon charged, the young hero and Midna were ready.

Using her powers, Midna used the hidden strength within her mask to reach out and stop the dark beast. The two companions were pushed back from the sudden force that they tried to halt. Mdina's abilities held out though, and they stopped the dark beast, mere inches away from them being smashed into the walls of twilight that had been re-summoned. Though the cursed Princess was the one bearing the majority of the force, even Link began to strain under the pressure of holding back Ganon.

In their current forms, neither of them could speak, and so all the beasts did was growl at each other. Foam dripped from Ganon's maw as he tried to crush the two of them against the barrier. Grunting, Midna doubled the strength she was outputting and used her ancestor's powers to throw Ganon to the side like a paper doll. In some small manner, Link was reminded of when he would wrangle sheep back home, and when he had to wrestle the Gorons, only this was on a much more massive scale. All that at the moment seemed like a distant memory, another life that was not his own. Acting fast, Link dashed over to Ganon's exposed chest and transformed back into his human form.

Drawing his blade, Link unleashed the most powerful moves he could. A blade, he figured, would be more effective than his teeth in wolf form. Even with his injured leg, the young hero still managed to get off several devastating blows to the dark beast. A howl in pain escaped Ganon as he rolled over to protect his chest. Scrambling away, Link barely escaped from being crushed. Snarling in pain, Ganon charged around the room, smashing over columns and weakening the support of the chamber.

Using his shield, Link deflected any rubble that came his way as he tried to pursue the enraged beast. It proved to be in vain when Ganon slipped into a portal. Sensing he was more vulnerable like this, Link requested to be transformed back into a wolf. When his senses readjusted, he saw several portals appear around the edge of the barrier, each looking the same as the one next to it. Only one, though, would be the true one where Ganon was sure to strike from.

His senses strained, Link waited with baited breath for the dark beast. His blue-eyes darted back and forth between each of the portals, looking for any sign that would indicate which one Ganon would come from. Midna, who waited with him, suddenly pulled at his fur. In his time looking around, Link had excluded one portal: the one that had been behind him. Snapping his head around, the young hero barely saw Ganon exiting the portal before he was knocked off to the side.

Head pounding, Link rose to his legs, shaking like never before. The blow still stung his body to the bones. Even Midna shook her head to try to clear her senses. The ground once again rumbled, and Link turned to face the dark beast. Angered like he had never felt before, Link charged for Ganon to face him head on. He would stop him this time. He had to.

Like before, Midna used her powers to put a halt to Ganon's rampage. Using as much of her strength as she could, the cursed Princess sent Ganon flying, his massive body slamming against the barrier. More rubble fell from the ceiling, and Link had to be careful to dodge the pieces. Reverting back to his normal form, Link immediately began to slash away at Ganon's unprotected chest. It was his one weak spot.

Arms growing heavy, Link unleashed the remainder of his power into one final spin attack. Stumbling back, the young hero got out of the way as Ganon began to flail about. The dark beast lashed out in a final attempt to defeat Link, but he was already too far away. A final roar escaped Ganon as he fell to the floor, defeated.

Breathing hard, Link backed up. The power of Twilight seeped from Ganon's body as fires of Darkness licked at his form. He stared grimly at the body he had slain. It was different than fighting the other battles he had been through. This one left a foul taste in his mouth. Despite how he looked now and what he had done, Ganon had once been a person, just like Link.

Out of the corner of his eye, Link saw something glint. When he turned to face it, he saw Midna's body was glowing with the power of Light. Gasping lightly, she raised her hands and studied the strange glow as it left her. Following where it traveled, the two of them saw the light seep into Zelda's body. As it returned to where it should be, Link's eye fell to something else.

Eyes snapping wide for a moment, he dashed over to his friend's side. Her breathing was slow. Her skin felt cool to the touch. And when she looked up, he saw her eyes were still that mocking orange. Taking her by the hands, he helped San to her feet.

"Link..." she murmured. In her voice, he heard, was that hint of coldness that had dominated her voice when she had been Shadow. The Darkness that Ganondorf had sought still had its hold on her. Smiling weakly, Link patted her head softly and sadly. He noted even he hair was still darker than it was meant to be. It was no longer that shade of sapphire he had come to recognize. Tugging her hand slightly, he helped her over to where Midna still hovered. All of them watched as Princess Zelda fully reawakened.

"Pr-Princess... I... I..." choked out Midna.

"Say nothing, Midna..." soothed Zelda. "Your heart and mine were as one, however briefly... Such suffering you have endured..." The Princess of Light rose and headed over to the three of them, her calm expression staying on Midna to try to comfort the cursed Princess.

"It's...it's back!" grunted San, clutching her head suddenly. "Behind us!" While trying to keep her calm, Link spun around and saw what she had been talking about. A gasp escaped all of them as their eyes fell upon the materialized power of Ganondorf. Uncertain of how to face such a form, Link backed up a few steps as he tried to think of something he could do.

Midna, however, was the one to think of a plan.

Standing her ground, the cursed princess closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. Like when they had been outside the Castle, Midna summoned forth the broken pieces of the Fused Shadows. A gasp escaping him, Link looked over to his companion. There had to be a better way to fight! Reaching out, he tried to stop Midna, but before he moved two steps, he felt himself being transported away by Midna.

Silently, Midna watched as all three of them were moved away to safety. For what she had to do, none of them could be near. Despite the situation, a smile crossed her face. She had found her resolve. It was thanks to them that she now had a purpose to fight, and the strength to do so. There was no doubt in her mind once the Fused Shadows attached to her mask and her ancestor's power was unleashed.

:::

Regaining his senses, Link looked around at their surroundings. Midna had sent them out to Hyrule field.

"No... No, no, no!" repeated San frantically, trying to break free of Link's hold on her. Grip tightening, the young hero did his best at trying to calm his friend. Nothing he did seemed to be working. Only when a rumbling met their ears did she stop.

Gasping, all of them looked over to the Castle as a giant explosion went off by it. As the dust settled, Link felt his anger rise once again. Standing on the hill before them was Ganondorf atop his black steed. Instinctively, the young hero held his friend closer, not wanting her to be taken again by Ganondorf. His deep laugh traveling down to them, the dark lord reared his horse back and held his hand high, revealing to them what he held.

Midna's mask.

All of them gasped as the truth behind what that meant sunk in. Midna had been defeated... Slowly, as if to torment them even further, Ganondorf tightened the grip he had on the helmet until it could take no more and it crumbled within his grasp. The broken pieces fell to the ground. Rearing up once again, Ganondorf then set out at them at a full gallop, ghosts off fallen knights on their steeds following him.

Glaring, Link made sure his hold on the Master Sword would not falter. With his wounds, he knew this would prove to be a difficult fight, but that would not hold him back. Blinking, he glanced over to his friend. The young hero had not noticed when she had calmed, or when she had drawn her blade. But, he was comforted in the fact that he would not be alone in this. A soothing touch was then place on his wrist, drawing his eyes to it for a second. Following the arm, he looked up to Princess Zelda, who gave him a nod.

Calmly, she raised her hand to her chest and closed her eyes. "Spirits of the light! Wielders of the great power that shines far and wide upon the lands of our world..." she chanted. Link swore it felt as though the air around them had gained some sort of electrical charge. It tingled across his skin as Zelda continued and Ganondorf neared. "In my hour of need, grant me the light to banish evil!" Link raised his blade in attempts to provide some defense against Ganondorf, but, none was needed.

When Zelda had finished, all of them had been taken to a different realm. In it, the young hero felt the presence of the Spirits of Light and their great power. This place was under their domain. Here, his wounds were healed, and Link felt revived.

"Link..." came the soothing voice of Zelda. Opening his eyes, Link looked to her. "Chosen Hero! Lend us the last of your power! And San... Keeper of Darkness..." Zelda's eyes fell onto Link's friend who stood beside him. Looking over, he saw that San's eyes were partially closed. He suspected the Light of this place was a little too much for her. "Please, allow Shadow and Light to fight together in this battle!" Placing her hand on her chest in respect, the Princess bowed to both of them, which produced a surprised reaction from the two.

Link held out his hand as San answered, "We shall do all we can." Straightening, Zelda smiled to San and took Link's hand in acceptance of their aid. When she did, the Light engulfed their senses once again, and they found themselves back in Hyrule Field.

Joy filled Link as he registered that Epona was back with them. He did not question how she had gotten there so suddenly, all that mattered was that she was there now.

"I'll try to slow Ganondorf with my light arrows!" informed Zelda. Link looked over his shoulder and saw the Princess was with him, the bow in her hands. The power of Light radiated from it, sending a feeling of peace across Link. "You target him and keep him within range of my arrows!" Nodding, the young hero looked back ahead and saw San standing by Epona's head, a hand on the reins.

"I'll keep the ghosts from harming any of you. Be quick, though, I don't know how long I'll be able to keep it up." San gave a flourish of her blade as she began to head away. "Ride well, Link!" she called out before teleporting through darkness to meet the ghosts head on. Rearing Epona back, Link set them off at a full gallop to reach the dark lord.

Before they got too close, Ganondorf charged off himself. Dirt was churned up as the horses barreled across the field. Holding onto the reins tightly, Link urged Epona on. His trusted mare dashed across the land to stay within range of the dark lord. Ghosts charged at them from the sides, but the young hero did not spare them a single moment of time. As they neared, San appeared from a portal of darkness and sliced through the ghosts, sending them back to their place of rest. With them being taken care of, Link and Zelda could focus on Ganondorf and Ganondorf alone.

Behind him, Zelda raised her bow once Ganondorf was close enough to them. The air about them tingled for a moment as she summoned forth a light arrow. The power in it radiated out, filling Link with hope that they could win. When a clear shot opened, the Princess let the light arrow fly through the air. Within a second, the arrow hit its target.

Ganondorf cried out as the light coursed through his body and seared him. The force of such an attack weakened him, making him unable to keep full control of his horse. With no command being given, the horse slowed down from its thundering speed. Urging Epona to go just a bit faster, the young hero reached Ganondorf and slashed out with the Master Sword at him. Link got in a few good strikes before the effect from the light arrow wore off, and the dark lord lashed out.

Blocking with his sword, Link was able to steer away in time to avoid a devastating blow. Reeling Epona back around, Link took them back to a safe distance from the dark lord, and waited for another opening. Glancing out across the field, the young hero spotted his friend. The second she defeated the ghosts, Ganondorf had summoned more, leaving no moment of rest for San. They would have to finish this quickly.

Heeling Epona, Link spurred her back on to catch up to the dark lord. When they neared once more, Zelda took aim with another light arrow. Not once did Link slow down to give the Princess more time; he trusted that she would be able to handle a shot in a situation like this. And he was right to do so. The light arrow whistled past his head and struck Ganondorf as he was rounding about to charge for them.

A moment after the arrow hit its target, Link's blade was searching for an opening in the heavy armor. Making sure he was securely in his saddle, the young hero kicked Ganondorf with all his might, hoping it would be enough to unsettle him in his weakened state.

It was.

Pulling back on the reins hard, Link brought Epona to a halt. She whinnied at the sudden command to stop after racing across the fields. Ganondorf's horse continued on for a while longer, its gait becoming uneven as the dark lord began to lean to one side. Sparing a glance to the side, Link saw San appear next to them. She appeared winded and in need of rest, but other than that, she was unscathed. When he looked back out, the young hero saw Ganondorf fall from his horse, sending both of them plowing into the ground.

Dust rising from the landing, none of the three could see what was happening. All of them waited with baited breath for what the outcome would be. As the dust began to settle, a dark figure could be seen rising up. Ganondorf was not defeated yet. His mad laughter rang out across the land.

"An impressive-looking blade... But nothing more. Would you hear my desire?" The dark lord drew forth his own sword, one that glowed with the power of the Twilight. "To take this foul blade...and use it to blot out the light forever!"

Glaring, Link dismounted from Epona and headed to face Ganondorf. Grip tightening on her blade, San moved to join him in this battle, but was stopped by Zelda as the Princess placed a hand on her shoulder. The Keeper of Darkness wanted to break free from the hold on her, but, even though it was only a light touch, there was something else behind it that kept her in place.

"This is a battle for Link alone..." said Zelda, as though that was reason enough.

"Fights like that are always so foolish!" protested San.

"You are hardly in the condition to fight any more. And also, Ganondorf could still use the power that you hold." Glancing away, San clenched a fist. She did not want it to be so, but she knew Zelda spoke the truth. A barrier of Twilight was created when Link and Ganondorf got close enough to each other. San cursed under her breath as Epona reared at the sudden magic, forcing Zelda's hand to be withdrawn. Even though she was no longer held back by the Princess, the chance at helping her friend had passed. "You must believe in Link..."

San let out a single chuckle and looked over her shoulder at the Princess. "Believing in him is never the question... I always have, and always will. Without a doubt. But..." She looked back out towards where Link and Ganondorf were circling each other, waiting for one to make the first move. Grunting in frustration, she dashed up to the barrier and slammed her firsts against it. "That doesn't stop me from wanting to help my friend...!"

Inside the barrier, Link twirled the Master Sword around once as he kept his shield up. The weather took a fierce turn for the worse, and sharp winds now tore at them. Storm clouds gathered above, and lightning flashed in the distance. As the noise from the thunder rumbled within his chest, Link performed a jump attack to reach the dark lord. Their swords clashed with a shower of sparks, forcing it down to a test of strength.

Laughing madly, Ganondorf pressed in on the young hero, who gritted his teeth and summoned forth the strength he had left. For San... For Midna... For Zelda... For all his friends from home... For everyone... His desire to protect them all gave him the strength he needed to force Ganondorf back. Bashing him with his shield, Link created an opening in the dark lord's defense, and he took that chance.

Blood pumping through him faster than before, the young hero unleashed the most powerful of attacks he knew. His blade was stopped each time by Ganondorf's armor, but that did not stop him. A war cry escaped Ganondorf as he regained his senses and lashed out at Link. Gasping, the young hero barely had time to bring his shield back up in defense. The force of the attack was too much for him to block completely. His shield was ripped from his arm, and he was sent stumbling back to the ground from the blow.

Winded, Link tried to use the Master Sword to help him back up. Pain shot through his shield arm, and he wondered how it had not been broken. Looking up when he heard Ganondorf laugh, Link saw the malicious grin splitting across his face. The dark lord loomed above the young hero and raised his blade. His hold on his blade faltering, Link brought up the Master Sword as some small shred of protection. He closed his eyes and waited for the blow to come...

But it did not.

Opening his eyes, he saw someone standing between himself and Ganondorf. The dark cloak with designs that belonged to the Twilight Realm danced violently on the winds. San had managed to break through the barrier and enter the battleground. A moment of relief washed over Link for his friend coming to help him. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped when she looked over her shoulder at him.

"If you wanna get mad at me for interrupting your fight, save it for once we're done," she grunted, trying her hardest not to lose her footing under the force of Ganondorf.

"Hah! So shadow thinks it can fight side-by-side with Light? How foolish..." taunted Ganondorf.

Looking back to the dark lord, San kicked him in the chest and forced him back. "NO!" she shouted out over the cry of the storm. "Darkness... Light... They don't have to be enemies! Though I have this Darkness in me...it does not decide what path I take! There is no good or evil...we are the ones that make it so!" San deflected another attack from Ganondorf.

"You think your words mean anything to me? You forget...you may not wish to use the power within you...but I do!" The dark lord pulled back and held out his hand towards San. She froze where she was standing as the power within her was drained even more. It slipped from her grasp as Ganondorf took to use it for his own doings. Everything around her was going dark, and she was certain she would have blacked out if not for Ganondorf losing his concentration. It felt as though she could breath again.

"Link..." she coughed out, orange eyes focusing on her friend that had come to repay the favor. Her gaze switched between her injured friend and the dark lord. It then dawned on her what had to be done. "Ganondorf!" she challenged, standing straight. "Though Darkness flows through my veins, I still have my own will! Only I can chose what I do! And it is because of that...that I can do this to stop you...!" The Keeper of Darkness slammed her blade into the ground and turned her back to the dark lord. "Zelda!" Her orange eyes fell onto the Princess. "SHOOT ME!"

Time itself felt like it had slowed for Link. Pulling away from fighting Ganondorf, the young hero tried to reach for his friend. His feet fell heavy, and it was as though his body was not responding properly. His eyes wide, he watched as San stood there calmly, waiting for Zelda to answer her plea. From outside the hole in the barrier San had created, Zelda raised the bow and conjured another light arrow.

Reaching out, Link tried to get his childhood friend out of the path of the arrow, but was all too slow. As bright as a star, the light arrow flew through the air and hit its mark. A cry in torment escaped Link as could only watch his friend slowly fall to the ground. As she was, San managed to turn back around to face Link. Her eyes had changed back to the forest-green he had come to enjoy seeing each day. A soft smile was on her lips as the life in her eyes began to fade. Link yelled out her name, but there was nothing he could do.

The life in her eyes was fully extinguished by the time she fell to the ground.

With the storm raging on about them, Link's cry faded. It was then he could then hear a cry of anguish from someone else. Looking over his shoulder, the young hero saw Ganondorf clutching at his head as he fell to his knees. All the power he had stolen from San was leaving him. Without the source of his powers, it was nothing to him. With her final act, San had given Link what he needed: the perfect opening to finish this.

Lightning clashed overhead as he gripped the Master Sword with both hands. Pushing the anguish from his mind for losing his dearest friend, Link charged for the dark lord. Now was his chance! Ganondorf barely looked up in time to see the legendary blade aimed straight for his chest. All of his might, all of his strength was put into that blow. The Master Sword hit its target, and pierced through the armor as though it was tissue paper.

His breathing heavy and ragged, Link's arms began to shake as they gripped the sword. Ganondorf let out a low cry, one that Link could barely hear over the noise from the storm. It grew louder and louder until it challenged the thunder itself. Finally, Link was satisfied that it was a death blow and so he let go of the Master Sword. Rising, he pulled back and stumbled away from the dark lord.

The storm gave one final rumble before it gradually began to lessen. As it did, Ganondorf used what remaining strength he had to rise. "Do not think this ends here..." he breathed out, his red eyes focusing on the one who had defeated him. Even with death on his doorstep, he managed a malicious grin. "The history of light and shadow will be written in blood!" A dark laugh escaped him, and for a moment, Link worried that his attack had not been enough. Then, suddenly, Ganondorf's eyes rolled back into his head, his laugh faded into silence, and he sank to the ground. Dead.

Weakly, Link looked to the clouded sky. His body still shook slightly from the battle. It was over... It had finally ended... But, as he slowly sank to his knees, he wondered for a moment, had all they lost been worth this so-called victory?


	9. A Farewell And A Decision

IX

_A Farewell And A Decision_

Breathing deeply, Link continued to watch the clouds as they drifted by in the sky. Ganondorf had been defeated... They had won... Yet, Link still felt a heavy weight pressing down on his shoulders. Though dawn was breaking over the horizon, the young hero felt more sadness in this time than any hour when the dusk fell. Clenching a hand into a fist, he slowly rose. His friends had been the one to pay for this victory, and he was going to have to live with that.

Something from the corner of his eye caught his attention. Looking over, Link saw the four Spirits of Light waiting atop the nearby rise in the field. Once satisfied that he had noticed them, the spirits faded away into the rising dawn, revealing what had rested beneath them. Link stared at it, trying to verify what it was. From where he stood, at least, it looked like a mask...Midna's mask.

Relief and hope washing over him, the young hero began to head to where the mask was. As he got closer, he began to move faster, until he was at a flat-out run. Only once he got to a few feet away did he stop and stare. It was not the mask any more, nor even Midna in her imp form, but something else.

Rising slowly, her royal cloak caught in the breeze, Midna turned to face the young hero, the curse lifted from her.

Link gasped lightly. He had never suspected his companion to look like this. There were elements of her, like the designs on her arm and her hair color, that allowed Link to know it really was Midna. If not for the similarities, the young hero would have wondered who this woman was.

A smile touched her lips as she tilted her head to the side. "What? Say something!" Chuckling softly, she turned her chin up lightly. "Am I so beautiful that you've no words left?" Unable to hold it back any longer, Link smiled. Part of the weight had been lifted from his being. But... "I'm touched you came to see how I was first, but...what of your friend?" Her piercing gaze moved from him to back down the hill.

Gasping lightly, Link felt a hand tighten around his chest. There was still that lingering weight on his shoulders, that feeling of regret. Midna had returned...but what of San? For a moment, it felt like his body was unable to respond. When it finally did, the young hero turned around and looked to where Midna's gaze had fallen.

While Link had run up to see if it had really been Midna, Zelda had gone to San's side. The Princess was kneeling down with Keeper of Darkness held up in her arms. It felt as though someone had punched Link in his gut when he saw his friend. Her body lay lifeless in Zelda's arms. And, unlike Midna who had returned, he did not believe she would.

Forcing his legs to move once more though they ached from the fight, Link dashed back down the hill. Nearly falling, he went down to his knees by San's side. His breathing already irregular from the fighting and running, it became even worse as the despair he felt in this hour pressed in on him. As he reached out to take her from Zelda's hold, Link felt a pit of sorrow forming within him.

Her body still had a hint of warmth in it, but that was quickly seeping away as Link pulled her closer to him. Gritting his teeth, the young hero closed his eyes to keep back the tears he could feel forming. His dearest friend... For as long as he could remember, she had been there for him. From when they were kids, to the last battle, she had been there. Even when he did not know it, San had been there. Now... He had not been there for her. In her final moments, Link could do nothing for her.

As he sat there, not wanting to let her go, Link realized that now he would have to live a life without her. That thought was enough to allow a single tear break through his defenses and roll down his cheek. It gathered at the bottom of his chin before falling off and landing on San's still form. Trying to blink it away, Link could not remember the last time he cried. A life without San...he did not want to face that life.

"She may have been the Keeper of Darkness...but she fought for the Light and Twilight..." came Midna, who had calmly headed towards the group. Opposite the young hero, Zelda rose. Link remained on his knees, not wanting to let his friend go. The moment he did, he knew he would have to finally accept that she was dead.

"Is there not something we could do?" asked the Princess of Light. Midna moved around, studying San as she cupped her chin in her hand.

"It has not been too long...perhaps we could bring her back... But..." The Twilight Princess' look became sympathetic. "The Darkness is still within her... I think if we brought her back now, she would be unable to control it and it would consume her." Upon hearing that, Link held San closer still. She had fought hard to keep her will stronger than the Darkness in the final battle, but even she had her limits. He was glad that she had at least been herself in the final moments...

"What if we were to seal it from her?" questioned Zelda after a few moments of only the wind creating noise. "Give her time for her to regain her strength so she is able to hold her own against it once again."

Midna's gaze switched between San and Zelda as she thought it over. "Twilight and Light... It may be enough to hold it back for some time." She let out a wry laugh. "I've heard of the Keeper of Darkness before, but never in my life did I imagine I'd be doing something like this..."

"I don't think either of us were." The Princess of Light's gaze fell down to Link, who had remained intent on keeping his grief hidden. "Chosen Hero?" At her voice, he looked up. The path created by the one tear that had fallen earlier remained stained on his face through the marks of battle. "Would you allow us to try and bring her back and seal the Darkness within her?"

Link could not find his voice. He wanted to leap at the chance of having San back, but he was somewhat wary. Switching his gaze between the two princesses, he eventually nodded. San was dead...it was not as though it could get any worse than this for him. Reluctantly, he let go of San and backed up. Once again, he felt helpless for not being able to do anything for San.

The princesses stood on either side of the Keeper of Darkness. Holding out their arms, they summoned forth the power that they could control. Unable to bring himself to watch, Link averted his gaze and looked away. As the air around him was filled with magic, he did not want to think what would happen if their plan did not work. The energy of their spell reached out and prickled his skin. Only when it died down did he dare to look back up, even then it was tentatively.

Zelda and Midna backed up, their hands falling back to their sides. San, however, was still lying on the ground. Link felt his chest tighten even more. It looked like their spell had not worked... He then gasped. Hope rose rapidly as he saw her hand move slightly. She was alive... The princesses had done it.

Slowly, her dark cloak shifted as she rose into a standing position. A gloved hand rested on her head, as though she was trying to hold back a headache. What ever despair Link had been feeling lifted away as another breeze blew by. The weight on his shoulders was now completely gone. San...she was alive. The young hero wanted to rush up and hug her, but restrained himself.

Her gaze switched from Zelda, to Midna, and then focused on Link. He swore his heart leapt into his throat for a moment as her forest-green eyes fell onto him. She was back to normal. A weak smile touched her lips as she rubbed the back of her head. "So...what did I miss?" It truly was her.

Link slowly grinned. As he walked forward, he began to explain what had gone on.

:::

The group of them stood by the Mirror of Twilight. The portal leading to the other realm was still open, its glowing designs standing out greatly the the current lighting. Midna looked over her shoulder at the doorway to her home.

"Well...I guess this is farewell, huh?" murmured Midna, her look somewhat somber. "Light and shadow can't mix, as we all know. But..." Chuckling softly, she looked back to those that were seeing her off. "Never forget that there's another world bound to this one."

"Shadow and light are two sides of the same coin..." responded Zelda, her glance shifting over to San before it returned to the Twilight Princess. "One cannot exist without the other. I know now the reason the goddesses left the Mirror of Twilight in this world...They left it because it was their design that we should meet." Clasping her hands together neatly, Zelda closed her eyes for a moment. "Yes... That is what I believe."

There was silence for a time. Only the winds that blew through the Arbiter's Ground reminded them that they could still hear. "Zelda..." began Midna, her piercing gaze falling onto the Princess of Light. "Your words are kind, and your heart is true. If all in Hyrule are like you..." A soft smile touched her lips. "Then maybe you'll do all right." Still smiling, her gaze switched to San. "San...no...Shadow. You'll always be Shadow to me." Walking up, she reached out and flicked San on her nose lightly. The blue-haired woman scrunched up her face for a moment at the action, causing Midna to chuckle. "Keeper of Darkness...one who is neither of the Twilight nor the Light..." Letting out a wry chuckle, she shook her head. "I think those Sages got it completely wrong. But still...you may choose which world you wish to live in... The Twilight Realm or this world."

San chuckled lightly and cast her eyes down. Though the Twilight Realm had provided her some level of comfort, especially once she had come to accept Shadow, that place was not for her... "Thank you, Princess Midna," she murmured, dipping her head in thanks. Smiling lightly, San looked back up and slowly shook her head. "From when the Sages asked me back then...my decision has not changed... I have chosen to walk my path in this world."

Nodding, Midna gave a one-sided smile. "I thought so..." She placed her hand on San's shoulder for a second before backing up to where the steps awaited her ascent. "Thank you..." When she turned around, a saddened smile was on her face. "Well, the princess spoke truly: as long as that mirror's around, we could meet again..." As the Twilight Princess closed her eyes, a single tear that glinted in the light rolled down her cheek. "Link..." It was no normal tear, for it lifted from her face and floated in front of her. Raising her hand, Midna brought it up and tapped the tear with her fingers to send it on its way towards the Mirror of Twilight. "I..." Letting out a single chuckle, she shook her head. "See you later..."

The tear continued to drift through the air until it touched the very center of the Mirror of Twilight. As the crystal-like tear landed, a crack formed across the face of the mirror. The cracks spread and spread, until no surface area was left untouched. Gasping, the three Hylians looked to the Mirror of Twilight. Glowing, the cracked mirror face tried to hold together as long as possible. Not wanting to believe it, Link shook his head and turned back to see Midna running up the stairs.

The young hero opened his mouth to call out to her, but stopped when someone placed a hand on his shoulder. Looking over, he saw his friend slowly shake her head solemnly as she watched the Twilight Princess. A frown crossing his face, Link looked back up in time to see the final smile of Midna's as she was sent to the Twilight Realm. Only when she completely disappeared did the Mirror of Twilight then shatter. Since Midna was the true ruler of the Twilight Realm, all of them knew... The Mirror of Twilight had been completely destroyed.

The world of Twilight had been severed from the world of Light...but they would never allow themselves to forget it.

:::

The wind swirled about Link and San as they headed home. With the Twilight gone from their world, and Ganondorf defeated, there was no dire need for them to rush home. Reins hanging loosely in his hands, Link steered Epona across the lush green fields of Hyrule. San sat behind him, her arms hanging lightly at his waist. That was at least one thing he was thankful for: San's return.

Letting out a sigh in relief, Link leaned his head back and looked up to the blue sky. Clouds rolled by high above them. A small smile touched his lips as he looked back at the path before them. Off on the horizon rested Faron Woods. He felt joy swell within him at the sight of the forest that would then lead to Ordon. At last...they were nearly home.

"Link..." she murmured. Blinking, the young hero glanced over his shoulder to his friend. Her head was cast down and he could not make out her expression for the shadows cast by her bangs. A light frown appeared on his face for a minute.

Though everything about her had returned to normal from the end of the battle with Ganondorf, her hair had remained the darker shade of blue. It was as though it was a cross between her old hair color and that of Shadow's. Her grip around his waist tightened for a moment before her arms fell from him. "Let me off here..." The young hero opened his mouth to ask why, but San shook her head before he could get a word out. "Please...?"

The tone in her voice was what made him worried. Pulling back on the reins, he slowed Epona down to a stop. His trusted mare snorted and tossed her head, white mane being whipped around by the wind. San muttered her thanks before jumping from the saddle. Her feet barely made a noise as they landed on the ground. Before she could do anything else, Link quickly dropped the reins and dismounted as well.

San looked out across the fields that rippled in the breeze. "I won't be returning home..." she explained without looking over to Link. Brow furrowing, he questioned her why. "The seal that Zelda and Midna placed on me..." She placed a hand over her chest for a moment. "It won't last forever..." Gripping her tunic, she clenched her hand into a fist.

Link watched her. That thought had crossed his mind with what the Princesses had talked about it, he had not wanted to face that possibility. Back in the final battle against Ganondorf, Link had seen how hard it was for San to stay in control over the Darkness within her. Shadow had provided some protection for her from the powerful forces at work, but even she had not been a steadfast defence against it.

"When it breaks...I won't be able to control it again like I managed during the fight with Ganondorf. I either have to find some way to stay in control over it...or else find a way to seal it completely. And..." Taking a step forward, San shook her head. "I won't find that in Ordon..."

Link glanced away for a moment, not wanting to hear what she had to do. When he looked back, he saw the sorrowful look in her eyes. Those forest-green orbs that were deeper than the woods of Faron... They captivated him in a way that they had never done so before. It reminded him of how he felt when she had come back after the battle...only stronger.

"If I lose control over it...I don't want it to be around my family and friends..." explained San, looking away. Link opened his mouth for a moment but then closed it. Once San had made up her mind, it was very difficult to get her to reconsider. And, as much as he did not want to admit it, her reasoning was logical. "So...tell my dad I'll be all right, will you?"

Numbly, Link nodded. Smiling in thanks, San dipped her head to him before heading off. Link was left to stand there. As he watched her head away, he felt his test tighten up. Here he had thought he had finally gotten her back, yet she was leaving again. The most tormenting part of it was that he _could_ do something to try to stop her...but as a friend, he could not bring himself to do that.

Clenching a fist, Link glanced away before it became too much for him to bear. His eyes cast down, he reached out for the reins. At his touch, Epona snorted and tossed her head again, as if annoyed at him. Trying to sooth the mare, he patted her neck. It helped to distract him from what was going on at hand, at least.

"Link!" called out San. His heart rising to his throat, Link turned around. His friend had stopped in her step and was looking over her shoulder to him. A breeze blew by just then, capturing her hair and cloak and tossing them around.

For a moment she seemed sadder than he had ever seen her before. That look in her eye...it was not meant to be there. When he saw her like that, Link felt a pang in his chest. Closing her eyes, San seemed to be debating over something. At the distance they were now at, Link could not see the tear that rolled down San's cheek as she looked back at him. It was only there for a moment before it was swept away by the wind. In that moment, she gave him a smile that he would never forget.

"...Goodbye."

:::

Leaning back in the saddle, Link looked up at the canopy above him. The green leaves of Faron Woods caught the warm light from the sun and seemed to glow more vibrantly than ever. Finished with his work at Fado's that day, the farm boy had decided to go out riding for a while. He did this fairly often; much more than he used to. It was mainly because he could not bring himself to be in Ordon all the time any longer.

It had been two years since San left to go searching for answers on her own. Two years...yet each day had felt like a year for Link. Only once she was completely gone did he realize how much he needed her in his life. When he had returned to Ordon without her, he had explained to the rest of the villagers that she had gone on her own. It was only to Derak that he explained in full what had happened to his daughter.

A sigh escaped Link as he tried to forget that. Though Derak had been in complete control over his emotions even then, Link had been able to tell the blacksmith had been torn up at not being able to see San again. Seeing Derak like that had only made Link feel worse at not stopping San when he had the chance. To his surprise though, Derak had not blamed Link or had even been mad at the farm boy.

For days, Link had wondered what he would do. It was then he came to the decision of returning to his life before the Twilight. His journey as a hero had ended. Two weeks after that decision had been when hoped returned for a time. A letter had reached him then, one written by San.

"Hey there!" called out a voice, drawing Link from his thoughts. Jerking in his seat slightly, Link looked out to the path ahead. Blocking most of the area was a cart with a man standing beside it. He was waving out to get Link's attention while a horse absentmindedly was eating grass ahead of him. "Could you please come help a poor bloke out?"

Urging Epona to go a bit faster, Link erased the remaining distance in no time. When he neared, he looked over the cart before glancing to the man. From only first blush, he assumed one of the sprockets of the wheels had broken. Link let out a wry chuckle, remembering what had happened two years ago. This path did not seem too friendly to carts or wagons.

"Thanks for stoppin', lad," thanked the man. "I'm Elliot, a merchant who was heading for Ordon to sell some goods. It's been a long journey, and it looks like it finally took its tole on my ol' cart! Thankfully, it could have been a lot worse, and this is all that seems to be busted," he explained, pulling forth the piece of his cart. Link had been correct, it was a sprocket. "Is there a blacksmith in Ordon?" Link gave a nod in answer. "Would you mind seeing if you can get a new one for me or have this repaired?" Elliot rummaged through a pouch at his side for a moment and pulled forth some rupees. "I can pay the rest of whatever's needed when I get there, but for now I need to stay with my goods."

Smiling lightly, Link took the sprocket and rupees before saying he would be back shortly and headed back off for Ordon. He felt a little miffed at returning when he had wanted to head out for a while, but the merchant was in need. Pocketing the sprocket and rupees to pay for its repair or a new one, Link's hand brushed against something else that he always kept with him now:

The final letter he had gotten from San.

Since the first letter he received, the time between getting a new one slowly increased. From day one, he had wanted to write back to her, but she had explained in that first letter that she would be on the move, making it basically impossible for a letter to reach her. She had continued to write to him, at least. Until around a year ago, when after a long period of time, no other letters came.

Each time the mailman would visit Ordon, Link would ask about it. That question would always result in the same answer: there were no new letters from her. For a while, he had suspected something had just been happening to the letters and that they were not finding their way to him. But, with the more time that passed, the more he began to think for the worse.

He held onto the letter for a moment before withdrawing his hand. From when he first began to worry about what had happened to San, Link found himself reading that letter at least once a day. It had reached the point where he could basically recite it word for word.

_Dear Link,_

_ How are you? I hope you are well, along with everyone else in Ordon. If I listen quietly enough, I can almost hear your voice answering me. It should be the beginning of summer by the time you receive this. I hope my father doesn't bug you to help him with his work! You already work hard enough at Fado's. Just make sure you keep treating Epona well, or else my father should get you to help him! And believe me, he would not go easy on you just because you're a friend of the family._

_ It's already gotten quite warm in this town called Ackrynn; I would even put rupees on that it's beginning to challenge the temperatures of Death Mountain! That aside, the people are quite nice here. Out of the other places I've been to, this one reminds me the most of home. I do wish I could see Faron Woods right now; none of the trees I've seen can hold a candle to them. But it will still be some time before I can lay my eyes upon those familiar green leaves again._

_ The seal Zelda and Midna placed and me is nearly gone. Each day, I can feel the Darkness getting closer and closer to breaking out, and I still don't know how to control it properly. Right now, I fear that I would not be able to stay myself, and would become no better than Zant or Ganondorf. I cannot let that happen. I will keep on searching for some answer, so that one day soon, I may return home._

_Sincerely, San_

There had been another line beneath her signature, but, for whatever reason, San had scribbled it out beyond recognition. There had been only one word in it that he had eventually made out, and that was "regret". Reading that only made him more worried as to what had happened to her.

A chicken scrambled out of Link's path as he rode back through Ordon. Pulling on the reins, the farm boy had Epona slow down as they neared the blacksmith. Smoke steadily rose up from the forge. Before Epona came to a complete stop, Link jumped from the saddle and headed over to the forge. Reaching out, he sent his mind back to when San would work there, remembering how her sensitive yet firm touched worked at the anvil. At that moment, it sounded to him as though San was right back there, her unique music reaching out to him.

Gripping the handle to the door, Link gave a quick rap on the door with his knuckles before entering. Normally with all the noise made from working, Derak did not hear anyone who knocked, but Link still did it out of courtesy. After closing the door behind him, Link turned around...and froze.

His blue eyes widened at the sight before him. Hearing San working at the anvil had not been his imagination...

It really was San.

Back to him, her deep blue hair was gathered up as she worked. It was still the same shade as it was two years ago. Sparks flew from the red-hot steel as she hammered away at a peaceful pace. Unable to find his voice to call out to her, Link could only stand there. Slowly, as if sensing he was there, San stopped working. He could not see, but a smile touched her lips. Placing her tools down, his dear friend turned around.

Seeing the smile across her face and the one that danced in her eyes made his heart skip a beat. "Hey..." she greeted softly. Not glancing away at all, she tilted her head slightly. "What brings you here?" His voice was still lost as he stared at her. Part of him thought this was all a dream.

Without warning, Link abandoned all reason and walked up to her and pulled her into a tight embrace. It all made sense to him now... A life without San was not a life he could live. He continued to hold onto her, never wanting to let go again. A light chuckle escaped her as she finally hugged him back. They stayed like that for a while, both glad to be back with the other.

"Good to see you..." she murmured into his shoulder before pulling back. "But what did you come here for?"

Gasping lightly, Link remembered why he had come to the blacksmith in the first place. Quickly, he explained what had gone on and pulled out the broken sprocket and rupees in payment. San let out a light laugh, remembering what had happened over two years ago. Only, unlike that time, there were extra sprockets on hand. When San handed one to Link, he held onto her hand.

"Link," she smiled, shaking her head. "That merchant needs your help!" Frowning lightly, Link still did not let go. He never wanted to let go again. "Don't worry..." Taking his hand lightly in hers, San held it back for a moment before slipping her hands from his touch. "I'll still be here for when you come back. I won't be going anywhere."

The farm boy studied her for a moment before he was satisfied that she was telling the truth. Letting out a quick chuckle at how silly he had been, he nodded before waving and leaving the blacksmith. San placed her hands on her hip and shook her head lightly as she watched him leave. A smile still tugged at her lips as she returned to work.

As quickly as he could, Link raced off through Ordon and Faron Woods to return to Elliot. Though he wanted to return back to Ordon as quickly as possible, Link helped the merchant get his cart back in order and guided him towards the village. Only once they were close enough to his home did Link take his leave as Elliot thanked him for all the help.

Racing back off through his home, Link headed for the blacksmith. He did not want to take a break from being in Ordon now. As though she knew exactly when he would return, San came outside, letting her hair down as she did. Laughing lightly, she raised her hand and waved at Link neared. Only needing to pull on the reins lightly, Link brought Epona to a halt. The mare snorted and reared for a moment.

"Looks like you have taken care of her well. That's good," murmured San as she moved up to pat the mare on her strong neck. "You know..." A smile tugging at her lips, she looked up to Link. "You still owe me that ride with Epona."

Link blinked for a moment before he remembered what she was referring to. Chuckling lightly, he nodded, finally remembering the small promise he made before he knew of the Twilight. San smiled lightly as he held out his hand to her. Without hesitation, she took it firmly and accepted his help onto the saddle behind him. Heart swelling with joy, Link steered Epona around. San was back...and this time, she was here to stay.

Sun shining down on them, the two headed out of Ordon together.


	10. Aftermath

_Aftermath_

Link gave a pat on Epona's neck as he let her be in the field as she saw fit. Raising a hand, he glanced to the west and watched the sun that was beginning to set already. Memories of the journey he had two years ago returned again as the dusk spread across the land. There was still that sadness that always seemed to follow the hour of twilight. Sighing, he glanced over to the person who was there with him.

As strands of deep blue hair were caught in the light breeze, San stood by the lake's edge, her arms spread out. For a moment, the young hero just watched her, almost as if waiting to see if she would disappear like a dream or not. The longer he waited, the more relieved he became. She really was back, and was not about to be leaving.

The two friends had journeyed across Hyrule Field that day and made it to Lake Hylia. The light from the setting sun made the clear waters become like fire. Chuckling to himself lightly, Link pushed some thoughts from his mind and headed to San's side quietly. She continued to stand there, her eyes closed as she was bathed in the warm light. In that moment, she seemed so at peace, Link noted.

"...I returned late last night," she finally murmured. Link blinked a couple times and glanced to her. Part of him always wondered if San was able to read his thoughts for she always seemed to know what he wanted to say or ask, like she had just proved now. Breathing out slowly, she let her arms fall back to her sides. "My dad didn't even find out until this morning." A soft chuckle escaped her as she opened her eyes. "He was so thrilled... I don't think I've ever seen him so happy...!"

Link gave a wry chuckle and nodded, hardly able to picture the blacksmith so happy. But, if there was anything to do it, he knew it was San's return. Still smiling, he glanced out across the lake.

"Sorry," she muttered. Gasping lightly, Link looked back to her. His friend's gaze was cast down. He had not expected an apology from her. "Sorry...for not being able to get any letters to you over the past year." Quickly, Link tried to tell her it was completely all right, that he understood. She shot him a quick smile in thanks. "While in Ackrynn, I met a small clan of people that traveled all over the place; they called themselves Tabibito. The leader of their clan was a man named Yuki. He sensed what was wrong with me...and said that they might be able to help. So I joined traveling with them for the year...and they helped me."

Breathing out slowly, she stretched her hands in front of her. Patiently, Link waited for her to continue her explanation. After living through a year of not hearing a word from her, it was nice to finally know what had gone on with her. Not to mention there were still several questions he wanted to ask her. He kept from asking them just yet, though, for he suspected San would answer at least most of them in her own time.

She laughed lightly, dropping her arms back down. "They were a very interesting group of people..." From the corner of her eye, San glanced to Link. "They believed in neither Darkness nor Light, and have not even heard of the Triforce or the Goddesses... They live their own lives. They showed me...how to understand the Darkness within me more..." Closing her forest-green orbs, San placed a hand over her chest. "Not long after I joined them, the seal Zelda and Midna placed over me finally disintegrated... That was not...a pleasant experience at all..."

Link cast his eyes down for a moment. He wondered what that had been like for her, having to face that Darkness on her own... A silent curse escaped him for not being able to help her during that time either.

"But...the Tabibito showed me how to...understand the Darkness within me more," she continued, laughing lightly as she remembered that time. Becoming quiet, she stared down at her open hands and studied them. "I don't fully know how to use the power that's in me―and I don't really want to―but I understand it now... It's...not as frightening as I thought it was at first." A wry smile touched her lips before she laughed out and shot a real smile to Link. "I know enough to keep it from consuming me...and that was enough for me to feel like I could return home."

Nodding, Link smiled. While he still wanted to know how the Tabibito were able to help her, he decided to save that for another time. She was confident enough in her abilities to control the power of Darkness within her now, and that was what mattered at the moment. She had returned. There was one question that he still wanted to know the answer to at the moment, however.

"Shadow?" blinked San, glancing to Link after he asked his question. San had picked up a stone and had skipped it across the surface of the lake. The ripples spread out slowly from each of the impact points (four this time) and merged into one another. Slowly, San glanced back and watched the ripples spread so far they began to fade. "You know, if you had asked me about that two years ago...I don't think I really would have understood what went on with all that myself. Now though..." She picked up another stone and processed to skip it across the water again (this time getting six skips).

Link continued to keep an eye on her as she explained: "Shadow... She was always there...inside of me from the beginning. I believe she was what helped to keep the Darkness within me dormant for so long. But then, when Zant took me to the Twilight Realm, he released her." She shook her head for a moment. "That was something I'll never forget... It felt like me yet _not_ me at the same time when I was with you. But when you released me from the hold Zant over me, I began to understand a little... Before, I thought Shadow had been someone else taking control of my body, but it wasn't that...Shadow _is_ me, and I am her." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly after skipping another stone across the waters. "Sorry if that doesn't make sense... But after Zelda and Midna brought me back, I could feel that Shadow truly was me. You could say...we are one now, as it should be."

A light look of confusion was still present on Link's face for a moment from her explanation. After a second, he smiled and nodded. Her explanation did at least give him some sense of closure as to what happened to Shadow. And he found it comforting that she was still around in some way...as she always had been, according to San. Picking up a stone of his own, the young hero skipped it out across the water. A light groan escaped San when she saw it had reached ten skips, beating her record of the day in one try.

"Hey." Link blinked and looked over to her. "Wanna spar?" she asked, grinning lightly. "It has been a while. I hope you haven't gotten rusty." Her grin morphed into a near-smirk for a second as she planed her hands on her hips. Link blinked a couple times, not expecting his friend to ask for a spar so soon after their reunion. "And no holding back this time either." Backing up, she reached for her blade.

Sighing, Link shook his head before giving a light chuckle. She had made up her mind about this, there was no room to be backing down. Quickly, he stretched out his arms before drawing forth his own blade (they had made sure to grab them before they left Ordon since monsters still wandered around).

San flashed a grin before drawing her own blade and moving back. While Link no longer wielded the Master Sword (he had placed it back in the ruined Temple), San still carried the sword she had acquired from the Twilight Realm. Once again, memories from what happened two years ago returned as he studied the designs that coiled around the entirety of her blade. He was brought rudely from his thoughts as San charged for him without warning.

Their little sparring match was off.

Right away, Link could tell San had improved greatly over the past two years. He had not expected such a great change, as such, it took him a moment to get to the same level as her. While he had not been out fighting over the past two years, he still had not let his skills with the blade slide.

As the two of them sparred, it felt as though nothing had ever changed. San was as nimble on her feet as ever, laughing lightly as she danced around his strikes. Their blades clashed, the light being reflected off of them making it seem as though they were made of fire. Link gradually settled into the pace of their spar, a grin spreading across his face. It was time to give San what she had requested: no more holding back.

Link quickly ducked and rolled to the side to dodge a strike from San. He smirked lightly at the opening San had left as he rose back up. When he moved to strike though, San's blade was already there to block it. That had not surprised the young hero though. Quickly, before San could parry, Link kicked at her knees, sending the blacksmith onto her back. San tried to get up, but a blade at her neck prevented her from doing so.

A chuckle escaped her before she relaxed, letting her sword drop from her hand. Looking up, she gave Link a one-sided grin. "See? I always thought you could beat me in a spar if you didn't hold back..." He smiled lightly, knowing that from her, it was a compliment. "But you know," she sighed, "You really should pay attention to your surroundings more."

Link blinked several times in confusion as his brow rose. It was then something hit him in the legs and he felt his entire world began to spin around. The ground slipped from under him, and for a moment they sky was beneath him before water rushed over him.

In their sparring, Link had not noticed where they had ended up before he won. On the other hand, San had. Her kick had sent him off balance and splashing down into the waters of Lake Hylia. Breaking back through the surface of the water, Link ran a hand over his face. San's laughter met his ears as he looked back to the shore. She stood by the edge of the waters, grinning down at him.

Link shot her a playful glare as he swam back to the edge of the lake. Her laughing trailed off as she covered her mouth for a moment. In the depths of her forest-green eyes though, her laughter continued on, Link noticed. His glare did not last for long as he watched her.

"I guess you've learned to pay attention more now," she chuckled, reaching out to offer a hand. Link sighed as his shoulders drooped for a moment. At least over the past two years, she had not changed. She was still the same friend he had grown up with. For a moment though, he allowed his thoughts to wander on that topic. Friend... As he studied her for a second longer, he wondered about those feelings.

San's expression began to show signs of concern for it was taking him an awfully long time to accept her help. Quickly, Link sighed and took her hand. But he did not accept her help. It was then San's eyes went wide when she saw the smirk that had formed on Link's face. A yelp of surprised escaped her before she splashed into the water next to Link.

Her hair clinging to her face, San sputtered as she broke through the surface. This time, it was Link's turn to laugh. He had gotten his revenge quickly enough, at least. San grumbled something under her breath before splashing him. Link laughed some more as he wiped the water off his face.

"I suppose I should have seen that coming," chuckled San as she pulled herself out of the waters. Link laughed some more before following her out of the lake. Reaching back, San began to wring the water from her hair. Sighing, she then let herself slowly fall back. Instinctively, Link went to keep her from falling, but ending up hitting the ground with her.

San muttered several apologies, not intending him to get caught in her fall. "You okay?" she asked, opening her eyes. Link's gaze became locked with hers, and it was then he realized how close they were. San must have noticed too, for her cheeks gained a hint of red.

In that moment, all became clear to Link. The way he had felt when San died before his eyes. The relief that washed over him when Zelda and Midna had revived her. The sadness that nearly overwhelmed him for the past two years. And then the overwhelming joy of having her return. Those feelings...they were not of friendship. But rather something else... He understood that now, and it was then he acted on them.

Leaning in, he kissed her.

San blinked a few times in surprise, not expecting that to have happened. Slowly, she closed her eyes, and responded in kind. The change of their relationship from friendship to something more had been mutual. For a second, Link's heart felt like it skipped a beat.

Pulling away, he ran a hand through San's deep-blue hair. Smiling, he decided to tell her how he truly felt. "...I love you," he whispered, placing his forehead on hers.

Laughing lightly, San nodded and responding with her own feelings. "Definitely glad I returned," she added, grinning.

A smile crossing his lips, Link nodded and wrapped his arms around her, hugging San tightly. Never again. Never again would he allow her to be gone from him for so long a time. She was back... Now, they could be together.

* * *

Well...that's the end! I'd like to thank those of you that read this! I hope you enjoyed. And if you have any further questions about this story, please don't hesitate to ask. Thanks again for reading, and hope you come back for more of my stories!


	11. Bonus Chapter

**A/N:** I was debating whether or not to post this for a while; ever since I first put up the story, really.

This is a little bonus ending (that I had actually written before I completed the rest of the story!) which I wrote for fun, sprouting from the idea of being curled up under warm blankets, actually. Funny where some things can come from, huh? It's meant to just deal more with San and Link after the events of Twilight Princess, and helps to show what their life together is.

**Please note!** This is written in **FIRST PERSON** from **San's pov**! I just really wanted to write something like that once, since I rarely write first-person pov stories, especially from the point of one of my characters. That, and it felt nice to see things from San's side more, rather than Link's, like the rest of the story. I apologize for the sudden shift from 3rd to 1st-person pov, but this really was mainly for fun. Hence why this is a bonus chapter! There is nothing critical for the story, and so, if you don't want to, you definitely do not have to read it.

But, if you like some light fluff and enjoyed the pairing of Link and San, and would like to see some more of them, then by all means, read on...

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Bonus Chapter**

The cool night air filled the room. Winter was coming. Even this far south as the Ordon Province, it still got quite cool after the harvesting season. It was not as cold as the mountains in the north—those were frigid places if not used to them—but, since I had lived in Ordon all my life, it was getting near uncomfortable to me. Yes, I had spent several years outside of Ordon after the Twilight nearly consumed our lands. Most of the places I had been were warm, or at least were when I was there. Only a couple months in those years had been cold, and only a few weeks in those months had I seen snow. Guess since coming back here, I had returned to my older sense of comfort. So that was why I now pulled at the blankets around me, trying to keep in what warmth I had.

No matter what I tried, I could not bring myself to sleep. The past few nights had been as thus. Tossing and turning. Counting goats. Trying to not think. Nothing would work. I know people always say to try warm milk, but I could hardly stomach the stuff. Something was different, that I knew. All I could do was hope it was nothing bad.

With a frown, I turned on my side. Tired of being just that little bit cold, I reached down to try to reach the quilt that was kept at the base of the bed. A light gasp escaped me when I felt someone's hand touch mine. I bolted up, but another hand was placed on my shoulder, gently pushing me back down. Smiling, I rested my head on the pillow.

How could I have been so silly? There was only one person I knew with such a touch, and who would dare come in here. As I curled up under the blankets, Link pulled the quilt up and tucked me in. His breath tickled my neck when he leaned over me, kissing my cheek. I rolled over and kissed him lightly back. He was giving me more warmth than the quilt. Reaching out, I took his hand in mine.

"Coming to bed?" I asked drowsily. After rubbing an eye, I watched him. A smile spread across his face and he nodded. I could not help but smile back. Link still hardly talked. It did not matter. Even without words, I still knew what he wanted to say. Since we had been kids, I always knew. I remember how people used to joke that we were soul mates since I knew what Link always meant and how he always knew how to make me feel happy, no matter how down I was.

I never really gave it much thought when I was young, nor when I was a little older. Back then, I just thought we were the best of friends; that everlasting friendship that ran so deep, only those who had it could understand. It was only after all we had been through that I realized that my feelings ran deeper than mere friendship. I was worried for a while...worried that he only felt friendship, nothing more. Perhaps those years apart did us good. Away from him, my feelings only grew, and we were shown what a life without each other would be like. I knew right away...I did not like that life. As I said in my last letter to him from those days...my one regret would have been not spending those years with him. It was odd...we needed that time...those years apart. Yet, if things had been different than they were, I would never have forgiven myself for leaving him. Thankfully,everything worked out in the end.

"Good," I murmured before turning back over. That day, when I came back, had been one of the happiest in my life. I was finally back home...back where I belonged...back with Link. It was also the day that he showed that his own feelings for me was more than friendship. The joy I felt then, it was only topped once: back when Link had asked me to marry him and then the _actual_ marriage.

A smile was on my face, thinking back to that day a few weeks ago. We may have been only technically married a few weeks, but I still count our days together from when I returned. Since then, we were as good as married. Perhaps...perhaps someone else would count the days from way back when we were kids, but I did not. The furthest day back I could even possibly consider calling us "together" was, actually, the day we were drawn apart. But all that was in the past. We were together now...we were finally one.

Running water reached my ears, and I knew Link was readying himself for bed. Even after all he had gone through, he still wanted to be a rancher. I found that touching, in a way. After saving the world from the Twilight, he just wanted to return to a quiet life. That life was much harder to attain now, though...for both of us. For a while now, we had been talking bout going off to travel. Get away from this place, any of the provinces, that knew who we were. Go somewhere quiet...one that had never heard of the Twilight or us. Yes...I think that would be best; at least...at least for a little while.

Soft footsteps drew nearer. They paused for a moment. I knew Link was also fine with going away for a while, he never once objected, but a something told me he would miss this place...as would I. Out of the two of us, I was the luckier. I had a father who raised me, while Link had not, nor had he a mother. The people of Ordon had been his family, and Derak, my father, had also been like a father to Link (he just never pressured him with taking over the family business—that was left to me). Everyone here...we were all family and friends to one another. Part of Link, I knew, was bound to miss all this if we left...both of us would.

Cold air seeped in as Link pulled the blankets up to get in. Whatever was cooled was quickly warmed up by his body. I sighed for a moment, annoyed that he had stayed up working so late, but glad that he was back.

"I hope you don't plan on working that late again any time soon," I told him as I searched for a hand to hold. Instead, his hand found mine. He nodded, pulling my hand up to kiss it. A smile appeared on both our faces. After he kissed my hand again, Link slowly pulled me in closer. His lips were soon on mine. Light and sweet at first, they quickly became more passionate. This was not what I had in mind when wondering what things I could do to try to get myself to sleep...but I was not about to complain.

His breathing becoming heavy, the kisses he gave travelled down my jaw to my neck. My eyes closed and I wrapped my arms around him, his clothes already off. Link left a trail of kisses over my skin, his hands running through my blue hair. My hair was still darker than it was meant to be. I knew back when it happened that it would never revert back. It was stuck this way—forever reminding me of what had happened.

I always wondered...if things had not gone the way they did...would we still be where we are now—in each other's arms? Would we have told each other how we felt, or would we have stayed friends, never trying for anything more? Thoughts like those sent chills down my spine. A part of me was afraid that none of this had happened—that it was just some wonderful dream. And when I woke up, we would be teenagers again. The Twilight would never have come. Link would leave to deliver the sword my father made and would come back none the differ. I opened my eyes.

But this was real. It _did_ happen. A smiling Link right before me was proof of that. That smile of his...the look in his eye... It was all so contagious. As I watched him, I could not help but smile back. I know I often think about what might have happened, as I did tonight, but, no matter what...I knew I would not change a thing if given the chance.

As he moved back in, Link rolled us over so he was hovering above me. Arms around his neck, it was my turn to pull him in for a kiss. Seemed like that "soul mate" quality between us was true—we always knew just what to do to please the other. I licked my lips as Link pulled away, leaving me aching for more. For a moment, we just stared at each other.

Raising a hand, I traced my fingertips over his features. "I love you," I whispered after a moment. Part of me was hoping he would say it back, but I was not surprised when he remained quiet. Smiling that irresistible smile of his, he lowered his mouth to my ear. I gasped softly. Whispering, softer than ever before, he said those three words in return. Unable to hold it back, a wide grin spread across my face. I knew he loved me, but to hear him say it always made my heart flutter. Link pulled away and gazed at me. His hand slipped behind my head, slowly brining me closer for a deep kiss. That kiss said more than words ever could have for how he felt about me.

:::

Before I even opened my eyes, I knew a smile was on my face. With a stretch, I slowly peered about. That smile quickly became a frown. Link had already gone. In his place was a note. Grumbling, I opened and read it. It explained that he had already gone to work and would be back for lunch.

_P.S._

_ I have a surprise for you when I get back._

_Love, _

_Link _

A grin tugged at the corner of my mouth. A surprise? What was he planning? Link did not normally do stuff like this, so I assumed it had to be something important. Hugging the letter, I rolled around a few times under the covers.

"Oh, Link," I sighed, still smiling brightly. With a groan, I looked out the window to the daylight. It was high time I went to work, too.

I closed the door to our house behind me. Part of me itched to bring my blade with me wherever I went, but I knew it was pointless to always be so tense. Then I stopped in my tracks. I had only taken a few steps before I suddenly clenched my stomach, raising the other to cover my mouth. My mind raced. _What the...?_ Glancing around, I quickly went over to some bushes were I quickly lost what I had just eaten.

"Blech..." I wiped my mouth. Why had I gotten sick? Had something been wrong in my food? Standing, I thought back to what I ate. No...nothing had been bad in it. This was odd. _What's..._ I began to wonder, but then something dawned on me. It was still early morning. What was it that the other woman of Ordon told me? They had told me that they used to get sick early in the morning when...

Surprise filled me and I touched my stomach again. Could it be? Was I really carrying...Link's child? My surprise changed to glee as the concept fully hit me. There was still a chance it had just been what I ate, but something told me it was not. It was more than just a bad breakfast.

Leaning my head back, I began to chuckle. That chuckle grew louder until it became a full laugh of happiness. I tried to contain it as I headed to my father's place for work, but I could not stop a grin from splitting my face. Well, looks like I now had a surprise for Link when he came back, too.

:::

"Link!" I called out, waving my hand high. A smile appeared on his face and he urged Epona to run a little faster to get to me. Link hopped off her saddle, landed next to me and gave me a warm hug and a peck on the cheek. Chuckling, I kissed him back. "Good to see you. So," I grinned, "what's this surprise?" An arm circling around me, he lead me to a place behind the house. I blinked. There, piled against a tree, were some packs, our weapons, and his shield.

Blinking, I looked between it and him. "Link...wha...?" It looked like all the stuff he had gathered could last a couple weeks. Taking a moment, I chewed over my thoughts, putting it all together. "You...want to...want us...to go away for a while, like we've been talking about?" He nodded. "Today?" I nearly shouted. A laugh escaped him as he patted my back. Sighing, I added, "Good. We've left before without warning, let's not do that again." He nodded, most likely thinking back to when I left for those years.

With a smile coming back, I faced Link and took both his hands in mine. "Now I got a surprise for you." Before he could say anything, I raised a finger to his lips. I knew he would have asked what it was. "Uh-uh. You need to figure out what it is without me saying anything," I grinned. Link pursed his lips together and gave a playful glare. "Hey, I always know what you want to say. High time we see if you know what I have to say." I stared at him, and he stared back, both of us trying to remain serious.

A minute passed.

I was the first to break, a smile returning to my face. As soon as it did, Link relaxed. He sighed and nodded several times. Slowly, he backed up a step and studied me. Standing tall, and holding my hands behind my back, I removed any expression from my face. Link raised an eyebrow and gave me a look that said "Not fair".

"Oh, fine," I chuckled before I relaxed. Then Link began to circle around me, eyes still searching me. Minutes began to slip by and Link finally stood in front of me, a hand on his chin. I blinked. He had leaned forward and was now only an inch away from my face. Were it anyone else, I would have hit them for getting so close. Without wasting another second, he kissed me. I had no idea why he was doing it, but I gave in anyway. If it was to help him figure out my surprise, then, heck, I should become as silent as him.

His arms slipped over my shoulders. He ran his hands down my arms and for a moment I thought he had forgotten about guessing my surprise as we got lost in the kiss. Then I knew he remembered for he placed a hand over my stomach. Link pulled back, a smile on his face. I gasped softly, a grin soon coming back. Could he really tell? I looked in his eyes. They sparkled with joy. He could tell, I knew. Link was...amazing! How many people are able to tell what someone has to say without words, and then have that person know the other knows, I wondered. Not many, that was for certain.

"I'm not completely sure, but there is a chance we'll have a child. But, even—" I was not able to finish my sentence for Link had pulled me up and was twirling me around. His musical laugh filled the air, and I could not help but join in. I clutched my stomach from laughing so hard as he pulled me in for a hug. A moment passed for us to regain our breathing before he pulled me in for another kiss.

"So," I said, his forehead resting on mine, and his arms never leaving my sides, "you're the great Chosen Hero that saved the world from the Twilight... Think you can handle raising a kid?" I grinned. Eyes still sparkling, he nodded. A chuckle escaped me as I ran my lips over his, getting him ready for another kiss after I said, "I knew you'd say that."

* * *

**A/N:** There. This is now the full end. Don't plan on writing any more for this Twilight Princess fan fic. I hope that the people that read this enjoyed it! That goes for the full story and the bonus chapter. Feedback is, of course, greatly appreciated.

Fin~


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